


The real love is the kind you keep track of

by DisneyBroadway123



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Fantasia festival planning, He's just jealous and thought that he didn't matter, Ice Skating, Laxus isn't evil here, Magic, Monogamy, One sided love triangle, complicated feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-04-29 18:44:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 43,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14478870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisneyBroadway123/pseuds/DisneyBroadway123
Summary: Idina Macallister is the youngest daughter of her family but they don't want her around. She finds the ice dragon Isilda and from there she perfects her magic until one day Isilda just leaves. Idina has no choice but to travel north to Magnolia and when she gets there Master Makarov finds her and introduces her to the wondrous world of Fairy Tail where she can finally fit in. She makes a best friend in a younger version of Laxus Dryer but when they get older, he changes into an arrogant brute leaving the young woman extremely confused. This is her story of how she learns about what the true meaning of love versus an infatuation and the differences that come along with it.





	1. Chapter 1

_ My name is Idina Mcallister and I’m a wizard from the Fairy Tail guild hall. I am one of the few S class female wizards right behind my friend since childhood Mirajane. I have been a prominent member of the Fairy Tail guild hall since I was a really little girl. I grew up in the snowy mountains out west and was born to a family that didn’t want me around. They took me out on a hike one afternoon then they just left me there to freeze to death. Which is what would have happened if not for my savior, an ice dragon named Islia who taught me everything that she knew about ice magic until one day she just disappeared off the face of the earth and I’ve not seen her since. I loved Islia because with her I didn’t need to talk about anything that I didn’t want to. She wouldn’t force me into conversation unless she really needed to know about something. The day that she disappeared is still to this day, one of the worst days of my life and trust me when I say that there have been a lot of bad ones in the past. I decided to travel to the east to see what was waiting for me out there and found the small port town of Magnolia which was home to the biggest guild hall in the entire world, Fairy Tail. It was when the master saw me defending myself against two older magic users that he decided to take me into his wing making me a new Fairy Tail wizard. That was close to ten years ago now and it’s almost my eighteenth birthday and I have just gotten off one of the biggest jobs that I have ever taken on solo. I made my very first friend through Gramps, his grandson Laxus Dreyar and he was at a time my biggest crush. That was before I saw his eyes grow cold towards everyone around him. There are moments but they are few and far between and I know that he hates my guts at this point since I beat the snot out of him at fifteen years old. Usually I’ll work with other guild members because I find that the jobs go quicker and easier if I have the company to talk to about what they think is going on. Often times I’ll work with my best friends Gray Fullbuster or Levy Mccgarden but Gramps told me that this time I had to work alone. I also love working with another highly skilled mage named Warren Rocko but he’s almost always busy taking on several jobs at once and he was gone the last time I was here close to a year ago. I left two weeks after my eighteenth birthday on a two year job that only took half that time and I couldn’t wait to see my friends and if Laxus was there to rub it in his smug little mug. I trained Gray when he first met me since my ice maker magic far outgrew what his teacher taught him and he considered me a rival at first until he actually talked to me. For as long as I can remember I’ve had a massive crush on my best friend but never done anything about it despite my surrogate father, Macao’s encouragement. However, I do know that Gray has no feelings towards me which I am fine with. I can live with just being his best friend because at least that means that I’m something of importance to him.  I met Macao shortly after I arrived at the Fairy Tail guild hall and he instantly took me under his wing to raise me as somewhat his own but allowing me to keep my last name. I even had a really strong bond with his biological son Romeo and saw him as my younger brother. I haven’t seen any of my friends in close to a year and it was the month of September two weeks before my eighteenth birthday and I was ready to surprise a good majority of my friends and family members. If Laxus were to somehow revert back to his old personality, maybe I would have fallen for him instead of Gray. The jury is still out on that one though so I’m still waiting because I know my best friend and that he is still down there somewhere.  _ I hadn’t even realized that I had fallen asleep on the long train ride that was coming from the western mountains where my job had been in my hometown back to Magnolia station. I had missed my actual home more than anything and was so excited about seeing my three best friends, my father and hopefully maybe even Warren since I hadn’t seen him in so long. I had sent him a letter a week ago and hadn’t heard back so I assumed that for the moment he was out on a job and I would hear back from him eventually. The train stopped just outside of the station and I grabbed my huge bag that also held the horn of the monster that I had taken down for proof that my job had been a success. I got off of the train at the sound of the whistle waving to the conductor and making a small snowflake in my hand. There was something so comforting about walking the streets that I had spent the last ten years running around with Gray, Levy, Romeo and at times Natsu would join us if he had the freetime from a job. I was close to skipping down the streets seeing a group of girls that were talking amongst themselves until I heard one of them talking to me. 

“Excuse me ma’am, are you a Fairy Tail wizard?” One of them asked and I knelt down on their level so that I could talk to them as well. 

“Yes I am, are you a wizard in training?” I asked the little girl who nodded her head though it seemed to be rather sadly. 

“I am but my mother doesn’t think that I’m talented enough to become a full fledged wizard.” The little girl said sadly and I looked down at the girls group of friends. 

“Are you three friends or sisters?” The older girl spoke up with a soft smile sent in my direction. 

“We’re sisters actually. Are Idina Mcallister?” I nodded my head with a bright smile knowing that these three girls had read about me probably in Sorcerer Weekly back last year before my big job. 

“That I am, what is your girl’s names?” I asked them with a sweet smile as the youngest girl’s eyes widened at the fact that I was talking to her. 

“I’m Evelynn these are my older sisters Arista and Kalya.” The youngest one introduced to me and I smiled at them shaking their hands. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you. Now tell me, what kind of magic do you use?” I asked the young girl who started to make a light fireball and I nodded my head approvingly seeing someone who would be much better with fire advice. 

“Hey Natsu, I need your help over here!!” I waved to my old friend who shot me a smirk and went over to me. 

“Idina!! Welcome back.” Happy hopped off his best friend’s shoulder to give me a giant hug which was easily returned. 

“What did you need me for?” He asked me and I crossed my legs turning back to the younger girl. 

“Now, I’m not a fire magic expert as you know my speciality is ice magic. But, my old friend Natsu, he is a fire magic wizard. He’ll probably offer you much better advice than I ever could in that regard. However, my somewhat adopted father used to tell me that magic shouldn’t matter what other people think about how it’s done. If you think that you have enough talent to pursue it for a career than we would love to have you. How old are you?” I asked the young girl who smiled widely over at me. 

“I’m seven and a half!! Is there an age limit to how old you have to be to join Fairy Tail?” The young girl asked me practically bouncing up and down as Natsu smiled over at the little girl. 

“We can’t speak for everyone, but if you are talented enough once you turn eight the Gramps might accept you as an official member of Fairy Tail. You’ll not be able to go on missions though for at least five years or until you master your magic. I can help you though if that is what you want.” Natsu offered his services to the young girl who nodded her head making a fireball as a demonstration to my old friend. 

“ You have very excellent structure for someone of your age. Tell you what, you can come with us and we’ll see what Mirajane can do for you okay?” Natsu offered to the young girl who smiled overly excited about meeting some of our more popular wizards. I just now noticed that there was a young woman who was standing there staring at me stunned. 

“Are you a new recruit?” I asked the young woman who nodded her head though still stiffly. 

“I am, I’m Lucy Heartfilia.” That name sounded so goddamn familiar where did I know it from? I had no idea but it would come back to me eventually. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Lucy, you probably already know who I am but I’m Idina Mcallister or Conblot if you ask around. I mostly stick to my formal name even though my dad has told me thousands of times to just drop the name and take his.” I shook the young woman’s hand as Natsu was interacting with the younger girl giving her fire magic advice. 

“I take it that you’re a Sorcerer Weekly fan and that’s how you knew about me?” I asked the newcomer and she nodded her head with a fervent nature that was instantly recognizable. 

“Yeah!! I’ve read just about every issue since I was seven, the issue that was focused entirely on you was one of my favorites in recent years. It was a really fascinating to learn about how you go about your day. That boy you were with, was he your boyfriend?” I shook my head with a blush high on my cheeks embarrassed at the situation that I was in. 

“No way!! Gray is just my best friend and nothing else. I helped him get better magic when we were kids.” I told Lucy but it looked like she didn’t believe a word that I was saying to her and she raised her eyebrow at me like sure girl keep telling yourself that. 

“Who else was in that issue with you? There was a girl with blue hair as well that I don’t see very often in the issues.” Lucy asked me and I smiled to myself knowing exactly who that was because that was my best friend that was a girl. 

“That would be my best female friend since I was first accepted into the guild Levy Mcgarden, she’s incredible, you’re going to love her.  If you love books and reading than she’s definitely going to be your new best friend. She can talk your ear off about literature of any kind for literally hours I know from experience. I’m also really good friends with another wizard but he’s almost always on a job since he’s so skilled that he can take multiple at a time, his name is Warren Rocko. I hope that he’s here right now but I highly doubt it since I’ve been away for so long.” I explained to the girl and she smiled over at her as Natsu helped Evelynn up onto his shoulders. 

“And I guess that’s our cue to go, would you like a little bit of magic demonstration before I leave?” The older girls both nodded and I knew just the spell that they would want to see. I waved my hands lightly in the air and it started to snow lightly from the sky. 

“Is that snow in the middle of July?!” One of the shopkeepers exclaimed but then he saw me as I waved to him and he saw my emblem that I kept on my upper arm where my tank having issues. 

“Oh, it’s just a Fairy Tail wizard showing off for some kids.” He grumbled but I smiled at him all the same watching as the older sisters caught snowflakes on their tongues. 

“You’re magic is incredible!! Where did you learn to do things like that?” Lucy asked me and I smiled over at the girl as we started to walk away from the girls that were playing in the street. 

“You could say that I was raised by an ice dragon hence why they call me the ice dragon slayer and Natsu the fire dragon slayer. She left the same day that Igneel did and left me all alone since my parents didn’t want to deal with me. I’ve always had strong magic so I just needed a trainer that would teach me how to work with my shyness towards people that aren’t wizards themselves. I love to work with other guildmates so that’s probably the reason why I was hanging out with so many people in that issue. I’m friends with a lot of the wizards and even the one that I hate is almost never around for me to have to deal with him.” I reasoned and Lucy laughed at me as we continued down the road to the guild. 

“So you usually work in teams? Am I going to need one?” I nodded my head at the first question and shrugged my shoulders at her. 

“It always helps if you do have one since going on missions alone is extremely lonely but I also jump around a lot. Sometimes I’ll work with Team Shadowgear which is Levy, Jet and Droy they’re okay I mostly just work with Levy whenever I can and they go off and do their own thing. Most of the time if I can help it, I work with Gray and Loke if I can at the time. Forward warning about Loke, he is said to to be one of the biggest flirts in the history of Fairy Tail and I’m one of the few women to actually turn him down and offer friendship instead.” I explained the inner workings of the guild to the young woman who would be working with us from now on. 

“I’ll be sure to do the same thing that you did, I don’t want to cause any trouble with anybody.” I smiled at my new friend seeing the guild hall just up this massive hill and I smiled to myself seeing Elfman outside punching the air. 

“A lot of the people in there are crazy, just warning you. If you think that Natsu is insane you don’t know the half of people that you’ll meet. My best friend Gray, he has this habit that he got when he was training in Isvan from his old master, he has this habit of stripping down to his underwear just thought that I would warn you ahead of time. Sometimes he does it without even thinking and he does most of his magic shirtless.” I warned my new friend as she looked at me and a nervous laugh started to bubble out of her. 

“I’ll bet that was a trip the first time that you saw it right?” I nodded my head with a bright laugh. 

“At this point, I’m used to it because he’s been my best friend for over ten years but ten year old me would turn into a tomato every time that he did it. It’s a thankful thing that my best friend is oblivious as hell otherwise I’d be screwed over.” My new friend smiled at me as I fiddled with the snowflake necklace that I always kept around my neck. 

“Did he give you that?” I shook my head at the question with a small smile painted on my face. 

“No actually, this was given to me by Macao’s son Romeo, the kids practically my brother. He found a way to preserve one of my ice crystals and made it into a necklace for my seventeenth birthday.” I mentioned to Lucy as we reached the top of the hill slightly out of breath as Natsu kicked the door open. 

“He’s so insane, how long have the two of you been friends?” I laughed at Lucy as I tried to remember how long I’ve known the fire dragon slayer. 

“Around the same time that I became friends with Gray. We started the Dragon Slayer club when we were thirteen and we would always go on missions together until I became S-Class when I beat Laxus at the age of fifteen. I think Sorcerer Weekly had an issue about that but I can’t really remember. I’m not the biggest fan of the whole publicity that comes with being a wizard here but it doesn’t happen for me very often. I don’t envy my friend Marijane since she most of the time gets all the publicity.” I mentioned to the new guild member who got little stars in her eyes. 

“I can’t believe that I’m actually here getting to become a Fairy Tail wizard!!” I laughed at my new friend as I linked my arm through her’s and hearing the arguing going on inside recognizing Gray’s voice almost instantly. 

“So Natsu’s back huh?!” I covered my mouth with a giggle that was threatening to bubble out of me knowing that he was probably going to fight Natsu in his underwear. 

“Tell me that was not Gray…” Lucy said quietly and I nodded my head at her question. 

“Sadly it was, but he’s a great friend to have around once you get past the stripping problem he’s actually really awesome and he is incredibly skilled as a wizard.” I explained to my new friend getting down on her level not wanting to go inside yet for fear of stealing Natsu’s thunder. 

“He has the same magic that you do right?” I did a fifty fifty motion with my hands. 

“We have magic that can be seen as very similar but it’s not exactly the same. Mine causes more damage, but we have the same concept, ice that can turn into other weapons to use against our enemies.” I told Lucy who nodded her head at me as I made the Fairy Tail symbol with my hand having it turn into ice and taking out a piece of wire from my backpack making an incision on the front so that I could make the wire connect to the other side. 

“Here, you can adjust it if you need to so that it slips over your head but I hope that I made it long enough.” I mentioned to my new friend who took it excitedly. 

“Won’t it melt though?” I shook my head motioning to my own necklace that just had the ice crystal that Romeo had helped me make. 

“Nope, one of my spells is ice that never melts. It’s perfect for trapping an enemy in its wake but it’s kind of a one and done and I need to sleep always like right after using it because it drains almost all of my abilities.” I told Lucy who gratefully put on the necklace as I finally heard the commotion die down slightly and I knew that this would be the time for me to go into the room. 

“Ready to go and make some new friends? I’m sure that the instant that I get through that door I’m going to be in an attack hug from Levy.” I said to Lucy and she just laughed at me shaking her head at me. 

“Yeah, let’s go inside. I just hope that not everyone in there is a complete mental case.” I smiled at Lucy as I held the door open for my new friend and everyone turned to her and then went back to what they were doing. I walked through the door next with a small smile at everyone as they looked at me and cheered. 

“WELCOME BACK IDINA!!” As I figured Levy had me in an attack hug in the next moment but I hugged her back just as tightly. 

“Hi Levs, missed you too.” I greeted my best friend as she buried her face in my shoulder and I could tell that she was crying. 

“When I didn’t get your letter last month I thought that something awful had happened to you.” I frowned at my best friend knowing that I had done something that was really bad. 

“I’m sorry Levy, I didn’t really think about how much that could affect you. I had finally figured out who the thirty monsters were and like I had thought they were wearing magical disguises. Makes me wish that I had brought Warren with me, he would have been able to tell if someone was lying to me.” Levy laughed at me though it was slightly watery and I saw Wakaba but not Macao so I figured that he must have been out on a job for once. 

“Warren hasn’t been here for weeks again. I don’t think that he’s going to make it to your eighteenth birthday.” I sighed deeply knowing that workaholic would have been gone. 

“That’s fine, he’ll make it up to me when he eventually gets here. So catch me up to speed, what’s been happening around here since I left? Did I miss the Fantasia festival signups?” I asked my best friend who shook her head at me. Every year during the Fantasia festival we had to sign up for whatever it was that we wanted to do on our float and this year I was going to knock it out of the park. 

“Nope, you’re arriving just in time to post your ideas and Gramps will have to approve it. I love the Fantasia Festival!! It’s my favorite time of the year around here and it’s just so much fun. What are you going to want to do this year? Are you having a solo float this year?” I nodded my head at the solo float question already having the cogs reeling in my brain.

“Of course I’m doing a solo float!! Sorry, but Gramps told me once I was S-Class I needed to make my own floats that was part of the deal since I became a part of it so young. And I’m not telling you what I’m doing, makes it more of a surprise. And before you ask me, I’m not telling anybody, not even Gray.” I threatened and then she looked at me. 

“About that, when are you going to tell him how you feel?” I looked down at my feet and hung my head lowly. 

“Never if I have any say in the matter, I already know that he doesn’t share my feelings. I’ll just have to grin and bear it until I eventually get over him.” Levy looked up at me taking my hand. 

“I thought that dragon slayers were monogamous, once they fall in love it never goes away. You’ll be alone for the rest of your life.” That only made me sadder but I tried to put on a false smile for my best friend. 

“Even if I never fall in love, get married and live the whole happily ever after, I’m fine Levs. I can live with that. As long as Gray is happy than I’ll be happy.” I knew that I was only kidding myself at this rate but what Levy didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. 

“Damn it!! Get off me man, besides didn’t you hear that your best friend was back after an almost entire year of being gone.” Natsu threw Gray off of him as realization dawned on his face.    


“Idina’s back?” I laughed at my best friend’s obliviousness waving to him from our table with a small smirk. 

“Nice to know that I’m enough on your radar that you’ll notice when I’m home after a job.” Levy snorted out a laugh as she wrote something down on a piece of paper.  _ If you’re not the one for Gray then who the hell is? I’ve never even seen him look at girls maybe they’re just not his thing.  _

“I’m pretty sure that if he was gay he would tell me. We tell each other just about everything.” I told my best friend as Natsu and Gray finished up their fight since there just had to be a winner somewhere with those two. 

“Except for the things that are the most important to you as a person. You’re a sweetheart honey and I just worry that you don’t know what you’re doing here.” I smiled at my best friend for the amount of caringness that she clearly had for me. 

“Where are Jet and Droy?” I asked her changing the subject as Natsu and Gray it seemed finally called a truce and my best guy friend came over to where I was sitting with Levy. 

“Sorry about that, I just got absorbed. I missed you though.” I smiled at my best friend giving him a hug. 

“It’s no problem, I know how you and Natsu get when you two are around each other. How’ve you been? Sorry for not updating last month, I finally started being badass around that time thankfully and it took me forever to even find the monsters since they were masquerading as humans.” I explained to my best male friend who just smirked over at me. 

“It’s all good, I figured that you were busy. She’s the one that started freaking out.” Levy glared at my best friend halfheartedly even though I could tell that they loved each other like brother and sister. 

“I wish that I could’ve teamed up with Warren instead of doing this one alone. He would have had that mission done in at least a month maybe two. Or at least somebody who was better at reading people than I am.” My two best friends moved so that they could sit on my side and smiled to myself feeling lucky that these two were my besties. 

“I heard that Laxus is coming back tomorrow, that’s going to be hell.” Gray moaned and I pinched the bridge of my nose. 

“Oh great, he hates my guts probably more than anybody here since I kicked his ass three years ago almost. He should be lucky that I allowed him to keep his spot in S-Class instead of his original rule where one of us would have to leave. I still don’t know what the hell happened to that guy. He used to be my best friend and I don’t know I like to think that he’s still there.” I looked down at my feet suddenly dreading the coming day since Laxus would be coming back and he hates me most of the time. Oddly enough I still wear the lighting bolt that he gave me for my last birthday as a memory of one of our softer moments. 

“You should have told him to leave, would’ve saved all of us a lot of trouble. At the very least he still only teases you compared to the rest of us.” Levy said sarcastically and I laughed at my best friend knowing that she was just pushing my buttons. 

“Hey, she did the right thing that she thought at the time. She didn’t know that Laxus would start insulting her based on just sheer magic alone. I happen to think in a totally not biased way here, that your magic is beautiful.” Gray praised and I nudged his shoulder. 

“You’re just saying that because I’m the one who helped you improve your own magic. Not that I didn’t love helping you but sometimes I find my magic to be rather anticlimactic.” I mentioned to them as Marijane came over dawning my favorite drink. 

“Welcome back Idina, it’s lovely to see you again. Natsu said that you were the one who encouraged the girl to come here?” I nodded my head taking the frozen strawberry lemonade from her tray and taking a slow sip of the cold beverage. 

“I did, she stopped me on the street actually. I thought that Natsu might maybe help her control her powers and maybe in a year or two she could become an actual member of our guildhall. Then maybe she and Romeo can team up for missions or something when they are older.” I told the woman who nodded her head at me pushing her tray to the side and coming to sit at the other end of the booth next to us. 

“I think you just might be onto something, she is very talented. How was your mission?” Gray put an arm around my shoulders for support since talking about my birthplace wasn’t exactly my easiest talent. 

“It was really hard at first but in the last month once it got down to the actual fighting I found it to be really easy. I was joking with these two that I should have brought Warren with me since he could’ve helped me weed out the liars from those that were honestly being truthful. How many jobs did he take this time?” I asked the leader and Gray answered my question. 

“We’ll be lucky if he’s back before the Fantasia Festival, it was six jobs and all for one month. He thought that you wouldn’t be coming back before your birthday like you promised.” Gray told me where my other closer older friend was at and I sighed deeply. 

“That’s okay, I should have sent him the message to him earlier. We’ll still have the party around here. I heard that Laxus is planning to come back tomorrow is this true?” I asked Mirajane as she sighed and nodded her head while my two best friends and I all groaned since Mira knew pretty much everything. 

“Well isn’t that just peachy? I’ll just have to grin and bear it I assume. He can insult me all that he wants, I know the truth. That he’s still in there and one of these days he’s going to come back.” I shrugged my shoulders a hopefulness in my eyes  and Levy smiled at me bumping my shoulder. 

“I don’t see how you can be so optimistic about him still, most of us hate his guts right now so you have way more friends than he does too. I feel bad for your little brother though…” My best friend avoided the topic and I looked at her with worryment in my eyes. 

“Why? What’s wrong with Romeo?” I asked my three comrades and Mira looked sad at me. 

“Nothing is wrong with him per say,  Macao took a job up in the mountains of Hikaba and hasn’t been back in nearly a week and poor Romeo has been in here everyday trying to find out why he isn’t back yet.” I clenched my fists underneath the table and banged my foot lightly to keep my anger slightly under control. 

“Why didn’t Wakaba go with him?” I heard the man in question call out from his own table. 

“You really think that I want to go freezing my ass off out there? Yeah right.” I rolled my eyes at my dad’s weakass hell partner. 

“That’s kind of the idea of a partnership Wakaba!! You’re supposed to do everything with him that involves a mission.” I yelled back at the man when I heard the door being kicked open and seeing a very pissed off Master Makarov. 

“ **_I’ve had enough out of all of you!! Now you’ve gone and done it!! What troublemakers you all are.”_ ** The master growled out and I covered my ears slightly and tapped my foot still hearing his yelling when Levy took my hand and so did Gray to keep me grounded in reality. 

**_“Stop this you fools!!”_ ** Mirajane looked up from where she was sitting and waved to the master. 

“Oh hello Master, you’re back.” She greeted him and I could see the Master shrink in size a moment later. I saw Evalynn come running towards my booth to cower next to me and Gray looked over at the little girl. 

“This is the mini Natsu, she also uses fire magic.” I told my best friend as the girl in question scooted closer to me covering her ears. 

“You’re alright now Eva, the master isn’t angry with you. Sometimes we get bad news from the council and then the Master gets a little bit frustrated.” Mirajane told the little girl who uncovered her ears right as Gramps started to give his big speech. 

“You've gone and done it again, rascals!! Look at all this paperwork the council sent me!! They're all complaints!!  All you fools do is make the council angry at me!! The Place from Before All you fools do is make the council angry at me!! However screw the council!! Listen up!! Magic is an unreasonable power, It is not some miraculous ability. It is the combination of the spirit that flows within us with the spirit that flows within nature itself, incarnated into physical form!! It takes a strong mind and focus! In fact, magic is the pouring out of one’s entire soul!! One cannot progress in the way of magic by being mindful of the watchful eye from above!! Be not afraid of those fools on the council!! And follow the path you believe in!! That's what it means to be a Fairy Tail wizard!!” We all cheered along with the Master and little Evalynn had tears in her eyes as I knew that she would get along just brilliantly with everybody here. 

“What do you think little girl? Do you want to be a member of Fairy Tail?” I looked up to see the master in front of us and Evalynn nodded showing off her fire magic. 

“I see a lot of promise in you for somebody so young. I take it that you’ve met Natsu? Until you can control your powers you will go along with him on missions and that will make you an honorary member of Fairy Tail. Welcome back Idina, it’s lovely to see one of my favorite children.” I hugged the master when he moved forward and I smiled at him when Romeo went bursting through the doors. 

“Is my dad back yet?!” Romeo came rushing over to where the Master was now sitting at the top of the bar. 

“You’re getting annoying Romeo. If you're the son of a wizard, then believe in him and wait patiently at home!” The master sighed and I felt instantly so sorry for the little boy who treated me like an older sister even though we were in no way related. 

“But he said that he would be back in three days, and he hasn’t been home for over a week now!! It’s not like with sissy where I knew that she would be gone for over a year and she hasn't been back yet either. It’s only Mount Hakobe, it’s not that far away!! Go send somebody out to look for him!! ” I made the zip lip signal to my best friends to make sure that they didn’t say anything. 

“Your old man is a wizard!! And there ain’t no wizards in my guild that can’t take care of themselves!! Go home, drink some milk and cookies and wait for your dad and your sister to come home.” The master ordered and Romeo punched the Master in the face. I stood up from the booth table grabbing my things and putting my sweatshirt on over my tank top since it was probably snowing in Mount Hakobe. 

“I’m going after him, he’s my dad and he deserves to be saved. He’s the closest thing that I’ll ever have to a father. He gave me a place to stay, gave me that stability, taught Natsu how to master his powers and so many other things. Natsu, you coming with me or what?” I asked my friend who nodded his head tensely as Evalynn stood up with me. 

“Are you going to retrieve that boys father?” I nodded my head getting down on the little girl’s level. 

“Of course we are!! We’re Fairy Tail wizards and when I sense that my dad is in trouble, you bet your money I’m going to go after him. Even if nobody else believes that he even needs the help. He could have had something awful happen to him Master and that’s why I need to do this. For my little brother and to make him smile. I missed my family so much over the past year so even though I just got back, I’ll see you all tonight or tomorrow.” I waved to my guildmates as they all waved back at me. 

“I’m coming too, that poor little boy. Was that your little brother?” I nodded my head hoisting up Evalynn onto my shoulders as she began to play with my blonde curls. 

“He is pretty much the closest thing that I have to a younger sibling. We’re extremely close despite me being almost twelve years older than he is. Our dad is just about the most amazing person and not one of our strongest wizards. It’s why Natsu got so angry, even though they aren’t as close as the two of us are Macao still helped him learn to control his magic.” I told the new mage that we had recruited and Eva asked me the next question.

“Why don’t you have the same last name as him then if he is your brother?” I knew that she would wonder kind of about what that was all about.    
“See, how much of my origin story do you know?” I asked the young girl who thought about the question. 

“I know that you were raised in western mountains in Sokovia but other than that I don’t know very much.” I smiled at the young woman as I started to bounce and she giggled at me. 

“You are right, I was raised in a small village in Sokovia and my parents didn’t want me for whatever reason. From there I was picked up by a dragon named Islia who taught me my magic. One morning, I wake up, and Islia is just gone and there’s not a trace of her left. I decided that Sokovia had nothing else to offer me so I moved all the way out here when I was spotted by Master Makarov. He took me into Fairy Tail and the first person that I had met was my surrogate father Macao Cobalt. He was married to a woman but they ended up getting divorced not too long after Romeo was born. Romeo is practically my brother and that’s why he calls me sissy because he grew up with me having that role in his life. I love my dad more than anything but I wanted to keep the Mcallister name just incase you know, my parents heard about me and they regretted giving me up or something like that I have no idea. I regret not becoming a Cobalt now but I might as well be one. I helped raise Romeo and to this day I still haven’t technically moved out of their house since they practically demanded even after I became S-Class to stay at the same house.” I explained a little bit of my origin story to the little girl seeing my surrogate brother who had his head in his hands and he was crying.    


“It’ll be okay kid, we’re going to get him back.” Natsu ruffled my little brother’s hair as he looked up at him with wide eyes turning to me and running into my arms practically. 

“SISSY!!” Lucy thankfully took Evalynn off of my shoulders as I wrapped my arms around my little brother. 

“Shush, it’s alright little bro, we’re going to get dad back okay? Then we’ll be a family again and we can celebrate my birthday in two weeks. I love you and I missed you so much Romeo and dad too. I wish that I hadn’t taken that damn job but we should be able to live comfortably for a long time now.” I comforted my brother as he melted into the hug and I got down on his level to make the hug a little bit less awkward. 

“I missed you sissy, so much. I kept waiting for you everyday to come back home. When you missed my birthday last month I got worried that I would never see you again.” I gently rubbed soothing motions down my brother’s back. 

“I’ll make it up to you Romes, I promise you I will. I’ll buy you the biggest plushie that I can find in the toy store okay? I have to go again though if you want me to find dad. I’ll bring him back by tomorrow night I promise you this right now.” I promised my younger brother as he buried his face in my neck and I hugged him tighter. 

“I’m really glad that you’re here big sister and that you’re going to bring him back. This is all my fault, I’m being picked on by bullies in our neighborhood for what both you and dad do. They beat me up and I basically ordered dad to take a job.” My little brother told me and I pulled back from the hug to see my baby brother flatout avoiding my eye contact. 

“Everything is going to be fine Romeo, this is not your fault in the slightest. We will talk more about these bullies more when I get back and I will send a snowstorm there way to make them pay for messing with the wrong family. I love you little brother and I’ll bring dad back by tonight. We’ll have dinner as a family and catch up I promise.” I promised my little brother and he started to finally smile at me before letting go from the hug. 

“Until I get back, I made a new friend that I think you’ll really like. Her name is Evelynn and she has fire magic. Maybe you two could become friends since she is the newest recruit for Fairy Tail wizardry.” I mentioned my little brother before grabbing my backpack and kissing Romeo’s forehead before catching up with Natsu. 

“Don’t let your anger get the best of you Natsu. I’m just warning you because I know you and how you get when the people that you care about are in danger.” I warned my old friend and Happy landed on my shoulder and I smiled shyly at the little blue kitten. 

“You’re really good with your brother Idina, I’m kind of jealous, I always wanted a younger sibling.” Lucy said when she caught up to us as we started to walk to a wagon that would take us up the mountain. 

“Well I love Romeo, he’s a really great kid. I always wanted a sibling too but I was scared when dad told me that his wife at the time was pregnant. I thought that he would be trying to get rid of me and replace me for the first two years until my dad realized that something was bothering me and he decided that he needed to talk to me about my little brother. I didn’t really love my brother until I heard him say sissy for the first time.” I told my new friend and I saw Happy smile at me nuzzling into my cheek. 

“They’re basically Fairy Tail’s strongest family unit even though Idina has yet to take on the Cobalt last name. Do you think that you will?” I nodded my head softly now knowing what I had wanted to do ever since Macao took me in. 

“I’m going to do it before I turn eighteen so that I’m not officially on my own. I think I’ll stay living with them though for as long as I can. I love my family unit that I created for myself and they mean the world to me.” I mentioned to my one of my closest friends as Natsu smiled over at me. 

“I think that Macao will be really happy to hear about you officially wanting to change your last name. I think that you did all that you could while being a Mcallister and you showed the world that you didn’t need your family that technically birthed you. Did you see them when you had to go on your last job?” I nodded my head following Natsu’s lead. 

“It was awkward to say the least since I had to interview them and their new children about the monsters and see if they were them. Sadly they weren’t otherwise I would be happy to have no biological family to my name. It sucks because for a long time I thought that I wasn’t good enough for them, that I could never be enough for them. When I met Macao one of the first things that he taught me was that I could be enough for someone, for him and his wife at the time before they got divorced and nobody’s seen her since.” I reasoned and Natsu looked at me with understanding and at the same time heartache in his eyes. 

“I’m sorry that you had to go through that alone. I wish I was S-Class so that I could have gone with you!!” I laughed at Natsu knowing that was his end goal in life as I shook my head at him. 

“Am I missing something here? Do you come from a rich family?” Lucy asked me and I nodded my head sadly. 

“I do, they market for wizards and they make their money off of that. They didn’t want a wizard or a daughter though at least as far as I remember that’s what they said to me. They wanted me to quit using my magic and one day they took me hiking up in the mountains and just left me there to die. That was until I met Inslida though and the rest was history.” I mentioned to my new friend and Happy just flew next to me and smiled over at me. 

“She’s come a long way since I met her as a child though, she’s one of the strongest girls that I know and doesn’t put up with anything that hurts Romeo or Macao. It’s why she’s taking this job so personally. Before him she never had the dad that stuck it out and wanted her around.” I nodded my head at the little blue cat and smiled at him. 

“He’s not without his faults either though, he doesn’t take a lot of jobs since Wakaba doesn’t either and that’s his partner. I think that’s why those kids are going and picking on Romeo since our father is not as well known as someone like Erza, or myself and his magic is rather unnerving and could be seen as useless even though it is fire. He has a really cool type of fire that he can manipulate though, it’s like a purple kind of fire. I’m not very good with classifying it but it’s really cool.” I explained to my new friend as we kept on walking to the people that would take us up the mountain. 

“It’s more than just cool, it’s awesome!!  Before Macao, I had never seen fire that was anything but mine which is the most obvious color orange. I had no idea that it could be purple and I still have no clue as to how he makes it that color.” Lucy looked over at my old friend with a small smile. 

“It’s magic Natsu, that’s the coolest thing about it is that it’s different for everybody. That’s what drew me to it anyways as it was a way of expressing myself.” Lucy told me and I nodded my head in agreement with the mage. 

“That’s absolutely right, it’s a way of channeling that part of you that believes in yourself and the things that you can do with it once you do is outstanding. That’s how I beat Laxus all those years ago, by believing that my magic could do it. His problem is that he puts too much faith in his sheer willpower and cockiness that he can’t allow the sudden realization that he’s getting his butt kicked until it hits him like a train. Trust me, we’ve had several rematches with the same stacks in the last three years. It’s like this never ending battle with him and he never admits that I’m a stronger wizard since his ego is too freakishly large.” I looked down at my feet fidgeting with my fingers nervously as I moved my hair behind my ear. 

“I know a little bit about Laxus and your fight with him from Sorcerer Weekly back when you were considered the youngest S-Class wizard aside from him. I thought that it was super inspirational that you did that without backing down and I thought that someday that could be me.” I smiled over at Lucy as Natsu lightly punched the air. 

“I hate that bastard so much!! He acts like he’s all high and mighty even though you beat his ass to the ground easily when he challenged you with those ridiculously high stakes. I miss the old Laxus who was my friend as a kid, the one who accepted me easily and everyone else.” I smiled at my old friend nodding my head missing the old Laxus as well. The one that I had beat wasn’t the same close friend that I had as a younger child who taught me all the inner workings of Fairy Tail like I was going to teach Lucy. 

“You’re telling me that there was a time when he wasn’t a massive asshole?” Lucy asked us exasperated and I laughed at the younger mage who didn’t know our guild as well as we did. 

“He was once my second best guy friend other than Gray. It broke my heart to have to kick the snot out of him quite literally but I didn’t have much of a choice. It was either that or I had to pack up my things and go back home or change guilds and I would never transfer out of Fairy Tail, this was three years ago. It was on my terms that I won but I still allowed for him to stay because I thought that maybe it was just a phase that he was going through but I was wrong. He’s tried to get me to become his girlfriend so many times but I just won’t do it. I can’t do that.” I looked down at my feet as Happy landed on my shoulder. 

“If that does happen, we’ll be there for you. Dragon slayers are monogamous so once they have a partner chosen for them than they are together until death.” Happy mentioned to the celestial mage as she smirked over at me. 

“And you want that to be Gray right?” I blushed a bright pink but sighed shaking my head. 

“That would be incredible, but he’s not interested in me like that. It’s better if I just ignore my feelings even if it breaks my heart. I’d rather him be happy with whoever he wants to be with than be miserable in a one-sided relationship with me with me because I can’t get over a simple crush.” Natsu looked back at me and Lucy talking and he smiled over at me. 

“She’s been in love with that jerk for forever, I’ll admit that together I can tolerate Gray a lot more. If she just told him than maybe she could be happy.” I stuck my tongue out at him shaking my head. 

“I’m used to the best friendzone so it’s cool. I’d rather be bestfriends with Gray than be in a romantic relationship with him.” We found the edge of the water and I knew that this was going to get ugly. I didn’t get sick on trains or anything like that, but I tended to get seasick more than anything else. 

“Will you be okay on a boat Idina? We can go another way if that’s what you want.” I shook my head and I sighed taking a deep breath and just thinking calming thoughts to try not to get myself sick. 

“I’ll be fine Happy, I can handle this. We need to get my dad and this is the only way to Mount Hakobe.” I sat down in the merchant's boat as Natsu negotiated with  the owner. Lucy climbed in next to me as I took some deep breaths. 

“Are you okay?” I nodded my head slightly nervous about this entire ordeal. 

“You know how Natsu gets motion sick? It’s a dragon slayer thing but it only happens to me on a boat. I figured that out the hard way while trying to get here from Sokovia, basically hours on a boat and I was in hell the entire time. It’s only a short distance and we can go up the mountain on carriage and then I’ll be fine.” I took the gumballs out of my bag that were blue raspberry flavor that helped with my anxiety, a trick that Laxus actually taught me when I was a kid. 

“What flavor gum is that?” Lucy asked me and I smiled at her offering her the bag. 

“It’s a blue raspberry, it helps me with my motion sickness or my anxiety. Surprisingly a trick that Laxus taught me back when he was actually my best friend. I also have strawberry though if you'd like that one better.” I saw Lucy dump two of the strawberry flavored gum balls into her hand and she started to chew the gum. 

“I can see why this is your favorite, your favorite thing is blue food isn’t it? I saw the blue raspberry lemonade that you were drinking back at the guild hall.” I nodded my head at the question as Happy flew over to sit on my lap. 

“I love blue food when I can get it so that’s why I always keep blue raspberry gum when I can get it from convenience stores and what not. Music also helps me so I don’t get motion sick but gum is really the best way since I can just keep chewing the same piece for at least four hours. Me and Laxus would have challenge’s as kids to see how could do all sorts of things with it, blew the largest bubble which he always won and who can keep it in their mouths the longest before they have to get fresh pieces. We were really weird kids.” Natsu came to sit down next to me and Happy though he was actually looking a little green already. 

“I would offer you some gum but the last time you ate nearly the entire bag so you can’t take my way out of this situation.” I reminded my old friend and saw him sigh deeply as the boat started to move and I found myself getting sea sick. 

“Just focus on the gum in your mouth and concentrate on that. See who can blow the biggest bubble.” I said to myself remembering when me and Laxus would go on missions together and used his method blowing a bubble from the gum in my mouth. 

“That’s really awesome, I can’t blow bubbles at all!!” Lucy cheered and I laughed at my new friend shrugging my shoulders. 

“I’m not all that at it, before Laxus started hating my rotten guts he would show me all kinds of ways to blow bubbles. The gumballs blow the biggest ones and that’s the one that I have in my mouth right now. My dad always thought that it was weird so he always laughs at me when I’m chewing gum. That was something that Laxus would do for me when we went on a boat for a mission since he was my original teammate and mentor when I first became a Fairy Tail guild member. Their job is to show you the ropes and go on jobs with you until you get comfortable enough. I can be yours if you want me to that is or you could work with Natsu whichever you would prefer.” I offered my services to the young mage who thought about it for a moment. 

“I think I’ll work with Natsu, he doesn’t have a team really does he?” I shook my head at the question while making a fifty fifty motion with my hand.    
“He’s kind of like me where he’ll bounce around to whoever needs his services but most of the time he’ll just work with Happy since as you know he can cause a lot of damage and most people are afraid of working with someone with that kind of habit. Most of the time I’ll either work with Gray and Loke or Team Shadow Gear but these last couple of missions I’ve went on my own which I hate since they aren’t S-Class. It’s by far the worst thing about as far up on the food chain that I am and none of the other S-Class wizards seem to like me very much. To them I’m still the little child that would run around with Gray teaching him to better use his magic and having massive social anxiety and hung around Laxus even after he changed and if he would go back to the boy I knew when I was little I might even forgive him. I know it sounds crazy, but I have this feeling that he’s still down there somewhere inside of him and he’s only acting this way because he doesn’t see any other way. It hardly makes for an excuse but I would forgive him all the same.” I explained my emotions towards my new friend who looked at me with amazement. 

“That’s extremely admirable that you would forgive him even though he’s treated you like garbage. If you hadn’t fallen in love with Gray and you somehow fell out of love with him despite your monogamous tendencies and Laxus went back to his original self would you consider him a probable partner.” I blushed slightly looking down at my hands. 

“I have no idea, it’s quite possible and it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest. When I was a kid I had a huge crush on Laxus until he turned into a jerk but some of those feelings do still linger I guess. I’ve given up on my love for Gray, we’re too similar anyways, same magic and all that. Don’t tell Levy though, she’ll have a conniption if she ever finds out that I still carry feelings for Laxus.  So would the entire guild so just for the time being, keep this just between us okay? If he went back now, I would for sure have fallen in love with the boy who protected me and who looked out for me, who taught me how to blow bubbles with my gum, who showed me that family doesn’t know blood types, he showed me so many things when I was just a kid. I didn’t know what love was back then and before I realized it, he was gone.” I splashed a little bit of the water between my fingers as Lucy looked back at me. 

“You’re not at all what I was expecting Idina Mcallister.” Lucy told me and I looked back at her with a raised eyebrow. 

“What were you expecting me to be like?” I asked her as she smiled over at me putting her hands behind her head. 

“I was kind of expecting you to act coldly towards newcomers or something like that. You have the reputation as the ice princess so I was slightly worried when you introduced yourself to me. But, you’re actually far more amazing than I ever let on through reading Sorcerer Weekly in the last hour and a half. You’re this amazing powerhouse of a friend and you have a very big heart, one of the biggest that I have ever seen. Who else can say that they would forgive someone who has done nothing but treat them like trash just because they miss the old person that they once were?” I laughed at the question looking down at my second necklace, a piece of lightning that Laxus’s had given me for my last birthday. 

“A crazy nutcase? I’m kidding, I know that my dad would probably question me about my feelings towards Laxus. He gave me this last year for my birthday, it was one of the few soft moments that we had in the last three years. It’s one of the reasons that I still believe that he’s somewhere down there even if he won’t admit it himself.” I fingered the piece of lighting that was around my neck gently with a soft smile. 

“I think that alone should be reason enough to hope that he’s somewhere in there. No matter how he treats others now, if he still does things like that than there is still hope left for you.” I smiled over at my new friend as the boat finally stopped thank god and we transferred to a wagon. 

“Thanks for not thinking that I’m crazy, I can’t talk to Levy about this stuff since she’ll probably want to know more. She has her heart set on me and Gray, she even created a ship name Graina, I don’t understand her sometimes.” Lucy laughed at me trying to explain my relationship with my best friend. 

“That’s hilarious, yet at the same time kind of adorable that she would think of that for you. She reminds me of some of my friends that I had back where I grew up.” I smiled at the young woman as I took out my sketchbook to draw for a little bit. 

“You’re an artist?” I nodded my head with a small soft smile at the young woman across from me in the wagon. 

“I do draw, there’s just something so magical about creating something. I know that sounds cheesy but I’ve always been jealous of my friend Reedus who has the power to draw anything and have it come to life.” I told my friend as the waggon moved up the first hill and I saw Lucy shiver slightly and I held up my finger pulling out my backup sweatshirt. 

“It’s enchanted, so whenever I wear this you stay a toasty seventy five degrees no matter what weather is going on outside.” I mentioned to my new friend who gratefully took the jacket and I heard my stomach rumble. I blushed slightly embarrassed at the actions that I was going through.  

“Have you eaten anything today?” I shook my head grabbing a small bag that held some snacks mostly crackers, cheese and dried fruit a separate bag held some jelly beans of course all blue flavors.    
“This will tide me over until I bring my dad home and I will pretty much eat my weight. I kind of went on a massive fasting spree since I don’t like eating while on missions if I’m on my own. Used to drive my dad and Laxus up the wall and secretly I think it still does bother my old friend.” I smiled at her when she laughed at me. 

“That’s cute that you know that it still bothers him, I thought that you were a little bit thin for a woman. You really shouldn’t do that though, it’s not very healthy.” Lucy warned me and I smiled over at her waving my hand at her. 

“I’m fine Lucy, don’t you worry about me. I was just a little bit more anxious during this trip since it was my first time back to Sokovia since I had chosen to leave that life behind me. I’ll make sure that I’ll eat more now that I’m home for at least a couple of months since my family is now sitting pretty once I cash in all my horns that I had caught during my trip down there.” I told my best friend as I kicked my feet up in the wagon. 

“Can I ask you something about Levy?” I nodded my head not looking up from my sketchbook. 

“Is she always this friendly with everyone that she meets?” I laughed at the question nodding my head and brushing away the dust before I knew what I was drawing. It was oddly enough a memory with Laxus when we were children sitting across from each other on a train heading into the mountains. 

“She can pretty much talk to anybody and the only person that she fully hates is Laxus. I’m the only one that still likes his company when he’s not being an ass and making fun of my magic. Others have it far worse with him though. That’s another reason why I think that the boy I grew up with is still down there. The boy who had no ego and only saw me as his family and his best friend. They are rare but they always happen eventually. Otherwise, yeah she makes friends a lot more easier than me or Gray for that matter.” I told my new friend who nodded her head  softly and I pushed a lock of hair behind my ear. 

“How does he make fun of your magic?” I thought of the most recent example since he was almost always gone and away on business. 

“He’ll call me snowflake and that usually wouldn’t bother me but he says it with this conviction like he’s better than me. He can think whatever he wants, I just miss my best friend.” Lucy took my hand as I fingered the lighting bolt, a nervous habit when I was scared or uncomfortable. For some odd reason it gave me this insane amount of courage and it means a lot to me that even if he hates my guts that he would think of something so sweet and sentimental. 

“I know that you do miss him, it’s in your eyes. Are you sure that you love Gray and not Laxus?” I rubbed my temples together and I looked down at my snow boats with a heavy sigh. 

“Is it the proper answer to say I don’t know? At this point, it’s a fantasy, my whole monogamous business it’s a fantasy. Nobody could ever want me for a lifetime and I’m an idiot for wanting to keep my dragon instinct.” I felt tears start to fill my eyes and I dried them taking a blue jelly bean and popping it into my mouth having to spit out my gum after two hours on that boat. Not my best but not exactly to shabby either. 

“I don’t think that it’s stupid at all, you’re just really confused. Part of you wants to love the boy who stuck by your side who you don’t think loves you back and from looking at him, you’re definitely stuck in the friendzone there. But I haven’t seen you interacting with Laxus yet so I can’t exactly tell you what he’s feeling towards you but snowflake sounds more like a personal nickname and not an insult. No matter how he says it, he can deny it all he wants it’s still a personal nickname and not a bullying tactic.” Lucy reasoned and I smiled at her fingering the piece of lightning that was around my neck. 

“You’re probably right, I need to stop listening to Gray about that sort of thing. That’s absolutely right, part of me wants to stay in the best friendzone where it’s safe and even though I’m getting rejected it’s still safe. The reason why I keep turning Laxus down for a relationship is because I’m scared. I’m scared that he’ll hurt me in the state that he’s been in for the last three years and I’m scared that all my friends will lose the respect that they have for me by agreeing to his terms.” I popped a piece of cheese and cracker with a dried blueberry into my mouth while offering a jelly bean to Lucy who gratefully took a couple. 

“I don’t think your friends will lose respect for you, sure they’ll be a little bit worried but that’s only because they worry about you. I’m sure that if you do agree to date Laxus that your friends will worry about you but that’s only because they care about you.” My new friend told me and I smiled over at her taking the last of my regular snacks and dumping them into my mouth with a small smile. 

“There is something that still draws me to Laxus even though I know it shouldn’t I have no idea what it is. It’s beyond my knowledge and I’ve tried to find out why I’m being drawn towards him.” I had an idea for a song that I would work with that would describe my relationship with my oldest friend that turned into my guilds worst enemy. I would write it later though so I just had to put it in the back of my mind and I would have Levy look it over tomorrow. 

“I think that it’s amazing that even though he remains a jerk to everybody else that he’s at least still on good terms with you and willing to be just teasing. He sounds like a real piece of work from what I’ve heard in Sorcerer Weekly and I’m not exactly ever going to be his biggest fan but I admire you for sticking by him and continuing to believe in him.” I laughed at my friend with a bright smile as I ate some of my jelly beans. 

“Hey Happy, want some jelly beans?” I asked the little blue cat who nodded his head happily and flew over to me and sat on my lap as he ate some of my jelly beans. Suddenly the waggon came to a stop and I saw my old friend instantly jump off the the moving vehicle. 

“We’ve stopped moving!!” Natsu cheered and I hopped out of the waggon right after him as my sweatshirt kept me at a toasty seventy five degrees and I smiled at Lucy as she smiled over at me. 

“It works, thanks for the sweatshirt.” I nodded my head with a small smile at my new friend as we started up the mountain. 

“DAD?!” I yelled out to the mountain hearing nothing but crickets in response. 

“Macao?!” Natsu shouted right after I tried and I smiled over at my old friend as Lucy tried this time. 

“Mr. Macao?!” I laughed at Lucy and Happy shook his head at her handing my an empty bag of jelly beans. 

“Just call him Macao, mr. makes him feel old.” I mentioned to my friend and she covered her mouth with a giggle. 

“DAD?!” I tried again this time seeing a Vulcan as it ran out of a cave and stopped when it saw Lucy. 

“A human beautiful woman!!” I looked at the monster with a raised white eyebrow at him and Natsu did the same. 

“Is he talking to you or me?” Lucy asked me and I laughed at her brightly turning around gesturing to her. 

“He’s talking to you Blondie, sorry about that. For some reason this guy doesn’t find me attractive.” I joked and Lucy started to glare over at me with a sneer on her face for making a joke. 

“You really think that now is a time for jokes?! Defeat the monster!!” She yelled at me and I gestured to Natsu. 

“Your call Natsu, we either fight him or we get answers as to where my dad is.” I offered my old friend already knowing the answer that he was going to give me.    
“I say we kick his ass!!” I nodded my head at him getting into a fighting stance as the Vulcan pushed my old friend off the cliff and Happy went after him. 

“NATSU!!” Lucy yelled after my old friend as I put a hand on her shoulder. 

“He’ll be fine Lucy, we need to kick this guy’s butt in the meantime though. What have you got that’s strong?” I asked the key mage who smirked over at the Vulcan grabbing her first key choice. 

“Woman, woman, woman, woman!!” The monkey cheered and I got into my fighting stance ready for my ice sword which came out of my hand easily as Lucy got ready as well. 

“My celestial spirit can handle this battle!! Open gate of the Golden Bull!! Taurus!!” The young mage shouted and the Vuclan did not look happy. He dragged my new friend into the cave before the celestial spirit could even arrive and I rushed in after them still carrying my ice sword. 

“Taurus is the most powerful of all the celestial beings that I have in my contract!!” Lucy claimed and I smiled to myself hiding out and waiting for Natsu and Happy to reappear. 

“ Lucy-san, your body always does you good Could you be any moo-re lovely?” The bull commented and I looked at them with a raised eyebrow seeing Natsu and Happy thankfully and I smiled at him waving him over to  where I was hiding out. 

“Oh yeah, he’s a perv too.” Lucy smacked her forehead and I stifled a giggle at the interactions between all three of these people and monsters. 

“What’s going on?” Natsu asked me perching down next to me as I tried to explain the last five minutes to the fire dragon. 

“Okay, so here’s what happened, the Valcon started to compliment her and she told me to stand down and not use my ice swords on him. She called on one of her spirits that’s the bull that’s going to help her hopefully but you might want to intervene right about now.” I whispered to my old friend and he nodded his head as I put gum back in my mouth so that it would help me think but it two fresh gumballs. 

“Natsu!!” Lucy cheered and I smiled at the both of them interacting knowing that they would get along really well together. 

“How were you saved?” The man in question smirked brightly at the young mage and I hung back with Happy. 

“It’s all thanks to Happy!!” Natsu tells Lucy enthusiastically and Happy cheered from where he was sitting next to me. 

“Aye!!” I smiled happily at the little blue cat and he sat back down next to me. 

“You can’t handle transportation but I guess Happy isn’t a problem?” I covered my mouth to hide the bright laughter from escaping my lips. 

“What are you talking about? Happy isn’t transportation. He’s my partner.” Natsu looked so offended and so did Happy and I put arm around the little cat. 

“That’s my woman!!” The Volcan yelled and I looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. 

“Listen up!! Everyone in Fairy Tail are my friends and family!! Gramps and Mira, Idina and even Laxus although sometimes he makes me angry, and those annoying jerks Gray and Elfman, Happy Lucy and Levy they are all my friends. And that’s why I’m not leaving here without Macao!!” Natsu insulted and instead got punched by the Valcon and I laughed almost but I was too worried about him. 

“That’s Taurus’s ax!!” I looked over to see the ax that Natsu was now behind but I could also the ax had fire emanating from it. 

“Natsu!! Eat the fire!!” I yelled at my old friend and he did just that happily so and I smiled to myself knowing that we were going to get out of here alive. 

“Now that I’ve eaten, I’m all fired up!! Idina, let’s do the thing!!” He bounced happily and luckily for me I understood just what he was talking about. I stood up dropping my ice sword and going over to my friend taking his hand and drawing back getting ready for our favorite epic combo. 

“Fist of the fire dragon…” Natsu started and I saw flames come up out of his hand. 

“Fist of the ice dragon!!” I exclaimed and we both went running towards the monster knocking him down and out. 

“Nice work!!” I high fived and bro fisted my friend and he happily returned it. 

“Weren’t you going to ask that monkey where Macao was?” I felt a light sweat drip down my forehead as the monkey changed form into my dad.    
“Dad!!” I rushed to his side and so did Natsu to try to get him to wake up so that we could all go home. 

“Macao!! Don't you die on me!! Romeo's waitin' for you!! Open your eyes!!” Natsu yelled at him and I tried to get my dad to wake up as well with tears streaming down my face. 

“You promised to make me a Cobalt before you died, I’m not ready to take care of Romeo without you dad. I know what I promised but I’m not ready to take care of him without you around.” I looked at my dad as he moaned and started to sit up until I helped him. 

“Idina, Natsu…” I smiled drying the tears that were staining my eyes as Lucy started to smile at the both of us. 

“I’m pitiful, I defeated nineteen of them but got taken over by the twentieth one.” I wrapped my arms around my dad in a tight hug being careful and mindful of his injuries. 

“I can’t believe myself man dammit!! I can’t show my face around you or Romeo after this.” I shook my head at my dad knowing that he felt like this and Natsu stood up for me and my little brother. 

“That’s not true!! You did great defeating that many in a week!! Romeo will be ecstatic that we even found you.” Natsu reassured my dad as I helped him up and he saw my lighting bolt necklace. 

“Where did you get that?!” He growled out already knowing my answer and I tried to get him to calm down.    


“Laxus gave it to me dad, on the last day before my job. It was one of the very few softer moments with him in the last five years that we’ve had. I know he’s still down there and I haven’t taken it off since he gave it to me. It kind of gave me courage when I was in Sokovia and I had to face my original parents. Don’t hurt him dad he meant it to be a heartfelt gift for my last birthday.” I told my dad and he sighed looking over at me as I put my arm around his shoulders to help him up. 

“We’re going to talk about this later okay? I’m not dropping this topic Idina.” I rolled my eyes lovingly at my dad as I went out to the waggon that I was a little bit down the mountain and I stared off into space for a little bit. I was really confused because I hadn’t thought about what the lighting bolt had probably meant to Laxus. I might have to ask Master about what it might mean when we get back to Fairy Tail. I was also extremely conflicted about what my feelings might be towards my former best friend. When did my emotions get so pulled into two totally different directions and what should I do about them? I had been convincing myself that I loved Gray because it was safe and it was the only way that I wouldn’t get hurt somewhere down the line being monogamous once I met the right person. It was complicated because Laxus was this enigma where I never truly knew what he was thinking or why he was doing what he was doing. With Gray, things were easy, maybe even a little bit too easy and that’s why I never thought that he could possibly ever feel the same way about me. I’m different and weird and I have a hard time getting along with people that I don’t know better than myself. That was the hardest thing for me, was opening up with people that I didn’t know and maybe that’s why I’m still single and have never had a boyfriend before at almost eighteen years old. I wasn’t used to feeling this confused about my emotions towards my friends or people that were once my friends. When did the lines blur for me and Laxus? When did he start treating me differently and why? What was his end goal with me? Why not somebody else, somebody who could give him everything that he ever wanted? It didn’t help that this was already super complicated, god why couldn’t we just have feelings for one person and then never have to deal with it ever again. I rubbed my temples and found myself fingering the lightning bolt that he had given me. I found myself looking at it as if asking it the same questions that I was thinking and I probably looked like a damned psychopath. 

“What are you thinking about snow?” My dad asked me and I moved a lock of hair behind my ear at the affectionate nickname.    


“Why can’t we just be stuck with one person for the rest of our lives? Why does love have to be so damned complicated? Why can’t we just fall in love once and have the person reciprocate that love and then have it over and done with? Why do love triangles exist and why can’t I figure out my feelings?” I just started asking all these questions to my dad when he put an arm around my shoulders. 

“Love is a complicated emotion and I get why you’re having such a hard time grappling with it. You want to love Gray but he doesn’t feel the same way that you do while at the same time you want to love Laxus but you’re scared of what people will think or what will happen in the end of things or what if Laxus stays the way that he is even after you two get together. I’ve seen the way that both of those boys look at you but on one hand you and Laxus also have a five year age gap, while Gray looks at you like you’re his older sister and not much else. Laxus just looks at you even when he’s messing with you, like you hung him the moon and stars. He might be a jerk but I think that you’re the one person that could get the young boy that you grew up with back. I’m not saying that you have to figure out your feelings right now but soon would be good because you don’t want to lose your shot with him too. I only want you to be happy with whoever you think deserves it sweetheart because you’ve been through so much. Whether or not that’s Laxus, I trust your better judgement and want to see you truly happy with whoever you deem worthy of that love.” My dad comforted me and I rested me head on his shoulder as we arrived back in Fiore and the waggon came to a stop. 

“Thanks dad, man it’s been a long day. I had to go on a boat in order to get to you, thankfully I didn’t get sick. Lucy kept me talking so I didn’t really have to focus on the rocking motions of the boat.” I told my dad gently shaking the celestial mages shoulder as I continued to chew my gum that I had been chewing on since we fought the monster. 

“Then again, who am I to talk about love? I’m a divorced man with a kid and a surrogate daughter so what do I know?” I nudged my dad’s hip with mine as Happy woke up Natsu. 

“Just because your first experience with love didn’t exactly end well you’ve more than made up for it dad. I’ll ask Gramps if this has any special meaning for him since he’ll know most likely.” As we walked down the road I saw Romeo sitting alone without Evalynn. 

“Romeo!!” My dad called out and I saw my little brother’s eye light up before rushing towards our dad and hugging him tightly with tears in his eyes. 

“Dad!!” I heard my little brother start to cry and I looked down at my younger brother. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry that I made both of you worry about me.” I heard our dad apologize but Romeo just shook his head at him. 

“It’s okay, we’re the children of a wizard after all.” Romeo said confidently and I got the next hug from my younger sibling. 

“The next time those bullies come after you will you do something for me Romes? Tell them this “Can your old man defeat nineteen monsters all in row without help from anybody? Has your older sister ever had to fight her best friend when she didn’t really want to?” I told my younger brother who nodded his head and saw the lightning bolt that was around my neck. 

“Ohh, that’s really cool!! Did Laxus give this to you?” I nodded my head as I got down on his level. 

“He did, right before I left on that last job. We’ll talk about it later, right now I need to see if Gramps knows anything about this thing okay? Where’s Evalynn?” I looked at my brother who looked really embarrassed. 

“I kind of got angry with her, can I come with you guys so I can apologize?” I nodded my head and hoisted my younger brother onto my shoulders following my friends to the guild in relative silence until I saw a very familiar little girl. 

“Evalynn!!” I waved to the little girl as she smiled over at me with a shy look in her eyes. 

“Hello Idina, I see that you found your father. It’s lovely to meet you sir.” The young girl greeted and I smiled over at her as I let Romeo down and he hugged the little girl. 

“I’m really sorry, you caught me at a bad time. Can we start over?” He offered and I saw the little girl smile brightly with a small nod at my younger brother as left them to whatever they wanted to do. 

“I sure hope that you know what you’re doing snow, I don’t want to have two kids confused by love.” I laughed at my dad as we arrived back at the guildhall and everyone flocked to my dad as I fought my way over to the bar where the master was sitting on the table nursing a mug of beer. 

“Gramps? Can I ask you a question?” I sat down in front of the elderly man who put down his mug of beer and I made sure that my necklace wasn’t showing. 

“Of course you can Idina, how was your last job?” I nodded my head getting out the tusks of the monsters that would claim my reward money from Mira. 

“It went okay I guess, it was a little bit lonely but what can you do about that. Hopefully I won’t need to go on an S-Class job until the next year after the Fantasia festival.” Gramps nodded his head at me and Mirajane handed my drink again that I had earlier on that day as I nodded my head in thanks to her. 

“What were you wondering about Idina?” Gramps asked me and I took my necklace off of my neck and put it gently onto the table. 

“It’s about Laxus actually. Before I left on my job last year since he was gone the day of my birthday he met up with me right before my boat left that would take me one way to Sokovia. He gave me this and I was wondering if it had any amount of significance.” Gramps took the necklace looking at it curiously before he stiffened lightly. 

“Well I didn’t think that he would go about it this way… This is a bolt of his lightning, we only give these to the people that mean the most to us. I know that he acts differently, but for the most part your friendship has remained the same since he was a child. When lightning users want a partner, we’ll usually give that person a bolt of our lightning as a ritual so that other magic users know that we are taken. Similarly to how you make those necklaces for people that you think are worthy of that love, it’s a very personal thing. I’m surprised that he had the guts to do this kind of thing, he’s kept this for years and he promised me that he would wait until he knew that your feelings for Gray were gone. He’ll be back tomorrow though, so I’ll talk to him then and ask him what in the hell he was thinking. I’m really sorry, if you don’t approve of it, you’ll have to give it back to him.” Gramps explained and I gasped taking another look at the lightning bolt before it suddenly all made sense to me. 

“Wow, okay. That’s a lot to take in at one time. I’ll need to think about this Gramps. I knew that it must have held some kind of significance to him but I had no idea that was it. He seriously had this for years?” I asked my master as Mirajane surprisingly nodded her head. 

“I know that he seems like a monster right now but somewhere beneath all of those walls is the same boy that you grew up with. For as long as I can remember he’s had a thing for you and it only got worse overtime. The harsh to your sweetness, I think that it’s rather adorable.” Mira smiled brightly at me and I looked back at her with a soft smile on my face as I put the necklace back around my neck and took a sip of my drink. 

“He’s been working on that since he was fifteen and you were only twelve right around the same time that he started to act differently towards everybody but you. You forget, your relationship was always teasing the hell out of each other after you were a welcomed member of Fairy Tail. He’s wanted to kill Gray for so many years because he was competition and when he thought that he lost you to him that’s why he gave you this. So that he could always remember what you meant to him even if you didn’t receive his feelings.” Gramps explained to me and I looked down at the small lightning rod and fingered the tip of it. 

“I guess I did kind of forget that he loved to tease and make fun of my magic even before all of this happened. I guess I was kind of a bad friend back then wasn’t I? He taught me everything and I just left him so many times for working with Gray. Man, now I really feel like a horrible friend.” I hung my head but Mirajane just sat next to me and put her arm around my shoulders. 

“I won’t lie and say that you didn’t hurt his feelings but you didn’t know how he felt towards you and we were the only two that always knew even when he was a child I was putting the two of you together because I thought that you two would eventually come to be closer than everyone else in the guild here. I loved watching the two of you grow as friends and then you got older and still were having a similar arrangement and I was just waiting for something to happen. When I started to feel you gravitate more towards Gray I saw the look in my grandson’s eyes and his pain was evident and that’s when he challenged you to that S-Class battle.” It suddenly dawned on me and I rubbed my temples together in a slight idiot motion. 

“Why didn’t I think of that? God I’m so blind!!” I felt Gramps sit down right in front of me and I could see the smile on his face. 

“You didn’t know for sure and he felt awful, like he was losing you and that’s why he’s been acting up for the past few years. He figured that if you didn’t want his attention than nobody did. But, once he finds out that you’ve been wearing his bolt I’m sure that he’ll feel better.” My dad came next to the bar and sat down next to me.    


“What did you find out? Anything interesting?” I nodded my head my eyes downcast. 

“This necklace is what I thought it was, it’s a bolt of his own lightning and he gave it to me as a way of trying to tell me how he feels. He gave this to me after keeping it in his pocket for five years. I hadn’t even realized that my love for Gray is the reason why he’s been acting this way towards everyone…” My dad just nudged my shoulder. 

“Talk about it with my on the way to get Romeo from his own girlfriend?” I laughed at my dad linking my arm through his as we exited the guild. 

“So the reason why Laxus has been acting so cold towards you these past few years is because of your friendship with Gray?” I nodded my head looking down at my flats that I had changed on the way back to magnolia. 

“That’s right, he’s been treating me the same way just with more teasing and I never even realized. It wasn’t him that was distancing himself, it was me and my actions. I put my love for Gray above the way that he was feeling for me and that’s what made him truly snap. He thought that he didn’t matter to me anymore and that I had chosen my monogamous partner to be Gray. He gave me this as a last shot in trying to get me to understand his true feelings for me. Gramps told me that his ancestors before him started to make the lightning bolt necklaces because it was their way of saying that they had found their one true partner in life.” I explained the meaning behind my necklace and my dad looked at me understanding yet at the same time I could see that he was surprised by the way that I was acting. 

“That makes a lot of sense to me actually, I’m not that surprised that was what it was for. So the challenge for S-Class?” My dad asked me just trying to get my cards on the table as I saw a massive puppy in a toy store window. 

“Hold that thought!! I made a promise to Romeo, as a way of missing his birthday.” I went inside the store as my dad laughed at me with a bright smile and I picked up the giant plushie. 

“Are you Idina Mcallister?” I nodded my head at the question as I took the stuffed animal up to the front of the line. 

“Yes I am, resident S-Class ice mage.” I introduced myself to the shopkeeper as she smiled at me. 

“My daughters are huge fans of yours one of them wants to be a Fairy Tail wizard just like you. She even has the same magic.” I looked at the young woman with a soft smile. 

“Where is she? I would love to meet her.” I asked the young woman who held up her finger and the next thing I saw was a young woman, around the age of eleven coming out of the storage room and dropped her things. 

“Y-You’re Idina Macallister?!” I nodded my head at the young ice wizard and beant down to help her pick up her items. She caught sight of my lightning bolt necklace and looked back up at me. 

“Does that belong to Laxus? Is he your boyfriend?” I shook my head at the second question but nodded my head at the first. 

“You’re right, this does belong to Laxus, he gave it to me before my last mission when I needed to go away for almost an entire year. But, I’m still trying to figure what exactly I want. Your mom told me that you did magic?” I saw the mom come back and she laughed at me and her daughter interacting. 

“I see you’ve already met Maki, show her your magic honey!!” The mother cheered and I saw my dad come through the shop doors. 

“Sorry dad, this girl uses ice magic and she was just about to show me.” I mentioned to him waiting for the girl to use her magic so that I could see it. I waited for a moment but that was all it took before the entire room started to snow and I saw the girl making a snowman out of thin air one of my favorite things to do to please the kids. 

“That’s amazing!! My daughter can do that but she hasn’t done it in a while. Usually she’ll do it for Romeo, my son when he’s sad.” My dad mentioned and I helped the young girl to stand up. 

“How old are you Maki?” I asked her and she looked back up at me with slight nervous eyes. 

“I’ll be thirteen at the end of next month.” My dad and I were instantly thinking the exact same thing. 

“Tell you what Maki, if you meet me here tomorrow, I can take you up to the guildhall and we can get you a certified Fairy Tail emblem just like my gold one. Just a fair warning, our guild can get a little bit crazy. But I think you’ll fit in greatly, we have so many guild members at this point so there’s a million things you can learn. You’ll need to have a spotter for your first couple of missions until we know for certain that you can handle yourself out there in the dangerous wizarding world.” I explained my idea to the young girl who was practically bouncing up and down in one spot. 

“Are you serious?! I would love for that to happen!! What time?” I looked at my dad who was smiling happily at me and the young girl. 

“I usually for the guild about nine o’clock does that work for you? I won’t be taking a job for quite some time so I would be happy to show you around and you can meet everyone. Laxus will even be back tomorrow, though I can’t promise that he will want you there. He’s been acting kind of weird with everyone but that’s going to end soon. Sorry if that sounded really cryptic.” I apologized to the young woman who just smiled back at me. 

“It’s no trouble, is this for Romeo?” I nodded my head fluffing the dogs ears and instantly knowing that Romeo would love him. 

“Yes it is, it’s to make up for missing his birthday two months ago while I was on the job. How much is it? I just got paid for my last S-Class job.” I said to the young ladies who ran the shop and the mom shook her head. 

“I wouldn’t usually say this but you’re making my daughter’s dream come true tomorrow, it’s on the house. Just let me clip off his tag.” The mother clipped off the stuffed animals tag and I waved to the teenager. 

“See you tomorrow Maki!!” The young girl gave her mom a big hug and my dad put his arm around my shoulders. 

“You’re doing a great job at recruitment for new wizards that’s one potential and one real one in an entire day. I’m really proud of you Idina, you’ve been doing amazing things for the world.” My dad praised and I smiled to myself brushing a stray hair behind my ear and back into my twin buns. 

“It’s not that big of a deal, I love making people smile, especially if they want to be Wizard’s themselves. It’s a great job because we get to fight to protect people and I love doing that. I can’t see myself doing anything else with my life and I love my family. Speaking of which, I made a decision. I want to take the Cobalt last name if it’s still on the table.” My dad looked back at me shocked that I had made this decision all on my own. 

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to have to take it if you don’t want me to. You’re almost eighteen anyways so I don’t want to overstep any boundaries here.” My dad told me and I shook my head at him knowing in my heart that I was destined to be a Cobalt. 

“I’m not sure dad, I’m positive that this is what I want. I would love to be a Cobalt because the Macallister name now means next to nothing to me. I saw my parents back in Sokovia. They pretty much told me that they still want nothing to do with me and I took a book from Laxus and I replied that I didn’t even need them anymore. I told them that I already had the perfect family waiting for me back at home with you and Romeo in Fairy Tail. I want to take your last name because my last name now means nothing to me. I got my ‘closure’ which is what I always wanted to begin with. That’s the only reason why I didn’t take your last name earlier and it’s because that  I wanted to make sure that my original family still didn’t want me in their lives at all.” I explained to my dad and he started to smile at me happily as he gently kissed my forehead and I laughed at him. 

“I would love for you to take my last name on your birthday. We’ll need to contact Sorcerer Weekly though, just to get the interview. I know that you hate doing those but this is a huge deal.” My dad mentioned and I knew that he was right as I looked back down at my feet. 

“I know, you’re right, I’m just not the best at talking to strangers especially reporters.” I looked at the road ahead seeing Romeo laughing at something that one of Evelynn's sisters had said. I couldn’t tell which one it was since we were so far away from them at the time. 

“Hey Romes, it’s time to go home!!” I told my younger brother as his eyes lit up when he saw the beagle stuffed animal that I had bought for him. 

“Coming sissy, bye Eve, it was nice meeting you!!” My little brother rushed back to me and my dad as I handed him the stuffed animal that was almost as big as he was. 

“Did you find out what your necklace meant?” Romeo asked me and I nodded my head taking his hand so that wouldn’t trip and fall with his new stuffed animal. 

“I did, it’s slightly complicated and you’re a little bit too young to understand everything so I’ll just tell you when you’re older. Even I don’t understand the exact reason as to why he gave this to me.” I fingered the end of the necklace around the pointed edge of the bolt as my little brother looked over at me slightly pouting. 

“I’ll understand!! Just tell me what’s going on!!” He protested and I saw my dad look over at him before gently lifting him up off the ground. 

“Alright, it’s a complicated love thing but I’ll try my hardest to make it seem like it makes sense to you. Before you were born, as you know me and Laxus were best friends and we kind of still are close but I guess I pulled away from him to focus on what I thought was my love for Gray-” I was cut off by a light gagging noise coming from my younger brother. 

“He’s practically your brother that shouldn’t be love like that!!” I laughed at my younger sibling and so did my dad. 

“I guess I never thought of it that way before but you’re right most likely. Anyways before you cut me off, you were really little but when I was fifteen Laxus challenged me to an all or nothing duel. If I lost I would have to leave Fairy Tail and if I won then I would be up in S-Class with him and he would have to leave. I’m wondering if he took that fight knowing that I would kick his butt and he would have to leave now that I think about it. He lashed out at everybody even me afterwards because I told him that he didn’t need to leave and he got angrier and more testy with me as the days went on until I finally blew up in his face almost quite literally and things got even more awkward from there since I didn’t know how to apologize for losing my temper and almost freezing him. I’ve never lost control of my magic like that before and it terrified me to my core. I had never expected him to forgive me but he did and things got slightly better and we were at least back on teasing and joking terms when I left. That’s when he gave me this lightning rod and sometimes it really helped me in giving me something to fidget with during tense and awkward situations. I had no idea of his emotions towards me until Gramps and Mira told me earlier this evening when I wanted answers as to what in the world this meant in his family's history. Turns out, all the men in his family did a very similar thing, giving the person that they care about the most a piece of their lightning usually it’s just a small portion for the woman to keep in her pocket but Gramps told me that he was the first to make it big enough to be worn as a necklace.” I tried to explain this to my younger brother and my dad but my brother still looked slightly confused. 

“Why did he treat you bad if he’s loved you this entire time then?” My dad thankfully explained this probably way better than I ever could. 

“Sometimes, when people get jealous, they do things that they will later on regret. Laxus was jealous because your sister fell in love with her brother practically and felt that he didn’t matter anymore so he lashed out at everybody including your sister.” I took a deep breath and held the door open for my dad and his son with a soft smile as my brother climbed down our dad’s shoulders and went barreling for the living room to play with his new plushie. 

“It looks like you’ve been fasting again, I’ve told you a thousand times how unhealthy that is for you Idina. I’ll make extra for you to try to get back to your normal weight.” I smiled at my dad in thanks and went up to my room for a little while to just get a couple of minutes of quiet time. I took out a notebook that Levi had gotten for me to write down my stories and song lyrics that I had tried out before into that was designed with little snowflakes as a joke. I thought that once I had figured out what my feelings were towards Laxus that I would write the song but I needed some time to even gather my thoughts. 

“Idina, I know you just got home but Romeo hasn’t seen you in an entire year and neither have I. Can you please have some family time with us?” My dad asked and I sighed though I smiled at my father. 

“Coming dad!!” I opened my door and saw Romeo standing outside my door and held out his hand which I happily took as I helped him down the stairs since he was still prone to tripping over things. 

“What are you going to name your new stuffed animal?” I asked my younger brother who thought about it and smiled over at me. 

“I like the name Snoopy, that’s what I’ll call him. I really like Eve, she’s really nice to me.” I smiled at my younger brother and I knew that no matter what we would be fine and still the same family unit that we had always been. 

“That’s really great Romeo, I’m really happy that you made a friend so easily. Maybe once you start using magic and become a Fairy Tail wizard you two can work together like how I used to team up with Laxus when you were just a baby.” I mentioned to my younger brother who looked back up at me. 

“If you loved working with Laxus so much than why did you stop?” I knew that question was coming and this would be really hard for me to explain that he would understand. 

“I picked working with Gray overtime and we became partners instead of me working with Laxus. I didn’t mean for it to happen, it just kind of did. I fell in love with Gray and the more that I found myself infatuated with my best friend the more Laxus got the shaft and I had no idea that I was doing it. He got angry and then lashed out at everyone in Fairy Tail because he thought that I wanted nothing to do with him and he’s already been through a ton of hell with his father being excommunicated and all that noise. When he saw that I was falling for Gray, he decided that if I didn’t want anything to do with him maybe he should just leave and that’s why I think he challenged me not knowing that I would still offer him his same place at Fairy Tail.” I tried to explain to my younger brother who nodded his head at me seemingly understanding at least a little bit. 

“I always kind of thought that he had feelings for you when I visited and he was there. He would just look at you in this certain way that was different from how he looked at everybody else, instead of anger and hatred he looks at you like you could do no wrong.” My brother commented and I smiled at him as we went to go and sit on the couch that was downstairs. 

“I must be the most blind person ever, man can I get anymore pathetic?” I asked my little brother as he cuddled into my side. 

“You’re not pathetic sissy, you’re the strongest woman that I know. I know that you feel really bad about the way that you treated Laxus but if you just apologize tomorrow than he’ll understand if he truly loves you.” My little brother reminded me and I smiled at him shaking my head. 

“Hey Romeo, I’ve been thinking--” I tried to tell my brother and he started to sing 

“A dangerous pastime…” I nudged him lightly and started to laugh with my brother. 

“I know. In all seriousness, I probably walked in on that one since I’m talking to you. The thing that I was thinking about, is I talked to dad about this too, how would you feel if I dropped my last name Macallister and took the last name that you have Cobalt.” I asked my younger brother not knowing what his reaction would be. I wasn’t expecting for him to start crying and to hug me even tighter to him. 

“I would love that sissy!! You’re already my sister in everything but blood and family doesn’t know blood types or last names but I would love to call you my actual older sister instead of foster sibling.” My little brother commented and I smiled at him shaking my head at him. 

“Hey, I just got an idea sissy!!” I looked down at my younger brother with a raised eyebrow. 

“What’s your idea little buddy?” I asked him in return as he exclaimed. 

“You could make Laxus a lightning bolt with your ice magic!!” I smiled at my younger brother nodding my head at the thought because it wasn’t such a bad idea in actuality. 

“Romeo, you’re a genius, want to help me with the necklace?” I asked my younger brother who nodded his head excitedly as I made the lightning bolt with my spell that would make it never melt. 

“I’ll give it to Laxus once I figure out what my feelings are okay? It might take me a little while until I give it to him but in the meantime I’ll just keep it in my sweatshirt pocket.” I mentioned to my brother who hugged me again and I gratefully hugged my younger sibling back. 

“How long did he have it in his pocket?” I looked back at my younger brother and smiled at him. 

“Mirajane told me that he’s had this for at least the last five years but it could have been longer. Gramps said since he was at least fifteen so I would have been ten when he started to work on this.” I mentioned to my younger brother who turned to me with wide eyes. 

“That’s older than me!!” I nodded my head at the little boy hearing my dad calling me and Romeo from the kitchen. 

“Kids, foods ready!!” I sat up and my brother left his Snoopy on the couch and I smiled at him helping him into a chair. We all ate dinner together as a family as we so often did and I smiled at both of the members of my small intricate family. I was practically starving so I ate a lot and so did my dad since he was still healing. When I finished eating I helped my little brother with washing dishes me doing the was and him doing the drying. I yawned, seemingly exhausted after the hectic day that I had been having. 

“You should go to bed sissy, you look exhausted.” My brother commented and I hugged my younger brother goodnight and kissed his forehead. 

“You’re right little man, good night and sweetdreams. I’ll see you in a little while, I love you.” I praised my younger brother and he kissed my cheek goodnight as well while holding out Snoopy for a hug. I laughed and hugged the stuffed animal before moving to my dad. 

“Night dad, I love you.” He hugged me goodnight as well when he kissed my forehead. 

“Night sweetheart, I love you too, sleep tight. I’ll get the little munchkin to sleep.” My dad promised as I went up to my room and slid against the door rubbing my eyes heavily and sat there for a moment. 

“It’s been the day from hell, man alive. It’s been a long day but at the same time I’m happy. I’ve got all these people who care about me. My dad, my little brother, Natsu and Happy, Levy and Gray and most of all Laxus. I wish that I had known earlier that he felt this way maybe I’m just really blind and kind of dumb.” I said to myself as I changed into my pajamas after brushing my teeth and just curling up into a little ball and falling asleep cuddling my polar bear that Laxus gave me when we went on our first mission together. 


	2. Chapter two

After a full night’s sleep I thankfully woke up feeling refreshed after the long and slightly emotional day that I had yesterday and I was ready to face Laxus and my other friends this morning. I didn’t want to hide the necklace because it meant too much to me and I wanted for Laxus to see that I was still wearing it. I stood up fixing my blonde curls to lie down in waves since I remembered that was Laxus’s favorite style when I was little. My hair was a really light blonde almost white because of my magic, almost the polar opposite of Gray’s and I put on my favorite outfit a pair of white denim jean shorts and a light blue tank top with my favorite sweatshirt since it would likely be air conditioned in the guild hall. I also added my favorite flats with snowflakes on them and put my music player into my pocket on my sweatshirt. I opened my bedroom door already hearing Romeo’s laughter coming from the kitchen table. 

“What happened?” I asked once I got into the room and my dad was looking at the bag of flour with such indignation that I couldn’t help the laughter bubble out of me. 

“The flour decided today was the right day to act like a pain in the butt.” My dad muttered and I laughed at him gently shoving him to move out of my way so that I could take over this job. 

“Yeah dad, let sissy handle this.” I laughed at my little brother as my dad sat down next to my brother with a slight huff in his tone. 

“I was trying to surprise you with breakfast in bed since usually I’m the last one up in this house.” I rolled my eyes at my dad knowing that he was only trying to protest and I laughed at him. 

“I don’t need that kind of stuff dad!! Birthday’s it’s fine, but I don’t need it on any ordinary day.” I replied and my dad just shook his head at me and I smiled at my little brother playing with his Snoopy at the kitchen table. 

“Do you have the necklace sissy?” I nodded my head at my younger brother’s question taking it out of my pocket to look at it. 

“What necklace?” I shoved it back in my pocket and blushed profusely knowing that Romeo would tell dad what exactly the necklace was meant to do. 

“Sissy made an ice necklace for Laxus without me last night!!” I facepalmed and pinched my eyebrows together wondering why I had agreed to allow his help anyways even if it was his idea. 

“And I’m going to see this necklace right?” He asked me and I handed it to him while my face was still bright red as I started where my dad had left off on the pancakes. 

“He’s going to love it snow, it’s beautiful. When are you going to give it to him?” My dad asked me and I smiled to myself taking the necklace back and fingering the tip of it. 

“When I figure out what my feelings are towards him then we’ll talk about it I promise. It shouldn’t take me too long since my feelings for Gray are mostly just platonic. Oh, god Levy is going to have some words to say to me when she sees this. I have the hardest time lying to her and she’s going to demand answers, you know she will. I don’t know if I’ll have the answers for her though…” I berated myself for jumping too fast into things and my little brother looked up at me. 

“Just tell her what you’re thinking about. That you don’t know who you love Laxus or Gray.” On the Gray I could hear a light gagging noise and I laughed at Romeo shaking my head at him. 

“Why don’t you do that on Laxus’s name too Romes? Do you not like Gray?” My little brother shook his head but I could see a small smile on his face.    
“Gray is like your brother practically, same magic powers, same type of general personality, you do almost every mission together. It just seems wrong to me I don’t know I’m only a kid but even I could tell that the two of you would never work out. You and Laxus on the other hand, are the complete opposites of each other so that makes more sense to me.” My younger brother explained his reasoning as to why he didn’t exactly believe my love for Gray and instead defended my love for Laxus. 

“Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?” I asked my little brother and my dad looked over at me. 

“You looked so happy when you told us that you had found your monogamous partner for the rest of your life and I think that when you told us it was Gray it partially made sense to us but at the same time we both always had questions of whether or not it was real love or if you were just trying to hide something.” My dad reasoned and I looked down at my feet in humiliation as I started to chop the berries for the fruit salad and got out the chocolate chips for the pancakes.

“Information that should have been brought to my attention yesterday!!” I yelled at my dad and Romeo as he laughed at me and my fake anger. 

“We didn’t want to run your life sissy, that’s not our job. We did want to make sure that you were happy and Laxus makes you happy so we just thought that you would figure it out on your own. And you did you just needed a little bit of help from Laxus to figure out what you wanted.” I laughed at my younger brother and how intelligent about love and everything that was going on at barely six years old. 

“When did you get so wise little bro? I was only gone for a year and hardly even that.” I asked my younger brother as he smiled and laughed at me as I continued to chop all the fruit that we would be eating with breakfast. 

“I understand a lot for my age I guess, I was raised by you sissy and you talk a lot about love and the meanings of it.” I blushed lightly in humiliation of all the times when I babysat Romeo while dad was on a job with Wakaba. 

“I guess I was gone a lot when you two were growing up before you became S-Class and the youngest wizard to ever do it.” I smiled at my dad for the praise and felt the pan heating up as I added a dab of butter while stirring in the chocolate chips to the pancake batter. 

“It wasn’t a huge massive deal for me anyways, I kind of hated being S-Class for the first year of it. True, I had less limitations and I could take the better paying jobs but at the same time, I got it by beating one of my best friends that I ever had and it was like he barely even fought that day. Now at least I understand why he decided to do that but as a kid it made little sense. Whenever I tried to bring it up with Laxus he would either do one of two things ignore me or change the subject to a safer topic, usually my last job.” I wiped my brow and gently smiled to myself shaking my head at the idea of my best friend trying to avoid the topic that I most wanted to know about. 

“That sounds like Laxus to me, at least nowadays Laxus. The old Laxus would have just told you why he had done that but then you started spending more and more time with Gray and I guess he got the feeling like you didn’t need him around anymore and he lashed out. I can understand that, you’re an incredibly young woman and it hurt him that you didn’t want him around.” My dad reminded me and I smiled faintly over at him. 

“He hurt me too though, I thought that he hated me up until yesterday because of how differently he treats me now versus when I was a kid. This is all my fault though so I see that now. If I hadn’t played favorites than none of this would have ever happened.” I sighed deeply looking down at the necklace that was glinting in the sunlight and I smiled faintly at the piece of material. 

“It’s not your fault sissy, you didn’t know that he was feeling that way. He didn’t want for you to know before he was ready to tell you. I think it’s sweet that he carried that around with him for almost as long as he’s known you just waiting for the right moment. You both hurt each other by pretty much doing the exact same thing, pulling away and focusing on someone or something else.” My brother figured out and I smiled over at him for being so intelligent about all these feelings that I was having. 

“Romeo’s right snow, he only wanted to be noticed and when that didn’t happen he got mad. Not saying that’s what he should have done but I can see where he’s coming from. It’s not that different from my interactions with Enno and that was my biggest mistake but I don’t regret this little guy. I just regret the way that it all ended.” Dad ruffled Romeo’s hair as he smiled over at our father and I smiled to myself at the family that I had made for myself. 

“I’ll not lie and say that I don’t miss having a motherly figure but it’s fine. You wanted commitment and she didn’t and it was that easy. I still have Mira and she kind of took on that role even though we’re really close in age same thing with Erza when I work with her even if that isn’t often.” I reminisced and smiled when I thought of the incredible red haired mage that I did love working with. Her magic was just about one of the most beautiful things that I had ever seen in my entire life and I could spend hours just watching her fight. Some people thought that she was cold but I honestly never thought about her like that. I saw a woman who came from hell and made something of herself while trying to forget her past. I was one of the few that actually knew about her past since she trusted me with it a long time ago back when I had first beat Laxus at fifteen and it feels like forever ago. I had noticed that the butter had melted into the pan so I added the first batch of pancake batter and watched it cook. 

“Who’s on first?” I asked my dad and younger brother and I heard my little brother call out. 

“Snoopy!!” I laughed at my little brother because he could be just about the cutest thing sometimes. He was adorable and loved being around people, pretty much the exact opposite of me at that age. 

“Alright, does that mean that you’re eating for two people Romes?” I joked and he shook his head. 

“I’ll just eat his share and then you can do dad’s.” I smiled at my younger brother and got his pancakes ready and moved them onto a plate with the berry fruit salad and a glass of milk. 

“There you go little buddy, all ready.” I told my younger brother and he smiled over at me as I did my dad’s next and dished him up handing him some as well.    
“Thank you snow, this looks delicious. I appreciate you taking over, that could have been a disaster.” I laughed at my dad getting my own breakfast ready and putting the extras into a plate with plastic wrap. 

“I wonder when we’re going to see Erza again, she went on another really long job.” I sat down next to me dad and in between my younger brother at my normal spot and laughed at him. 

“What else is new? It’s Erza, that’s like saying that Warren is going to be gone for months on end again.” I reminded my dad and cut into my pancakes as sugary as they were this was something that I missed. 

“He really did try to wait for you sissy, you took so long coming home that when he left last week he didn’t think that you would make it home before your birthday.” I smiled at my younger brother and his stuffed animal that was sitting on his lap as he took a bite of strawberry. 

“I guess I was gone for a long time, it was a really hard job for me. I wish that I had more friends in S-Class but I have Erza and Laxus when they’re around though usually it’s just me because I’ve never seen Mystagian. Than again nobody’s ever seen him.” I ate a blueberry off of the plate and saw from out the window a familiar figure in a black fur coat. 

“Well he’s back now, hopefully he’ll actually be willing to talk about this.” I thought mostly to myself as I fiddled with the tip of the bolt and took a deep breath when my dad put his arm around my shoulders. 

“I think that you’ll be fine sweetheart, you need to just have faith in yourself. He gave this to you with that intention of finally owning up to his feelings for you.” My dad reminded me and I looked at him nodding my head as he was right. 

“Dad’s right sissy, if he hadn’t wanted to talk about it than he wouldn’t have wanted to give it you.” Romeo added on his own thoughts as the clock hit nine and I downed the last of my milk. 

“I forgot about Maki, I got to get moving!!” I ran upstairs to at the very least grab my purse, brush my teeth and I put some gumballs into my mouth.

“We do this every morning Idina, you need to stop making these promises that you can’t keep!!” My dad yelled back at me and I rolled my eyes at him heading back down the stairs and I brushed a stray lock of curly blonde hair behind my ear. 

“I overslept, yesterday was exhausting, I’ll see you two at the guild hall a little bit later.” I waved to my dad and younger brother as I moved out of the house and started to breathe easier already. As I walked through the almost empty streets of Magnolia I saw all the shops opening their door for people to buy all the items that they could possibly need. I followed my footsteps from yesterday until I saw the toy  shop with the young lady outside of it with a nervous look in her eyes. 

“Am I late?” I asked the young lady in question as she jumped slightly and shook her head at me. 

“No you’re right on time!! I’m just super duper nervous about this. I can’t believe that this is actually happening. I’m about to become a Fairy Tail wizard!!” Maki cheered for sheer joy and I smiled at my new accomplice and ice wizard.

“You better believe it honey, it’s a great thing, being a wizard of Fairy Tail. I find them to be extremely welcoming to new members that they want to work with. It’s one of my favorite things about the guild is how much they are accepting of others.” I told my new friend and she smiled over at me and started walking with me up to the guild hall. 

“I feel so thankful though, I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life. Meeting you, getting to become the very thing that I’ve dreamed about since moving the shop to Magnolia, hearing your accent in person instead of just trying to imagine what a Sokovian sounded like, there’s so many things.” I laughed at the young girl because compared to the rest of the Sokovian people that I had talked to over the last year my accent was hardly there anymore. 

“That’s really sweet of you to compliment my accent even though it’s hardly there anymore since I’ve lived over here for so long. Then again, I just came back from there after an entire year over there so it might have came back after having to speak their language for so long. I’ve never really been a true Sokovian as you know but it’s sweet of you to compliment that.” I mentioned to the young girl and she just smiled happily at me. 

“It’s not a problem, has nobody ever complimented it before?” I shook my head at the question. 

“No, when I first became a member of Fairy Tail everybody loved my accent, especially Laxus and would always be asking me to say things in my native language.” I said softly and brushed a stray lock of hair from my face as the wind started to blow. 

“That’s really adorable!! When I was younger and just learning how to use my magic that I was born with, I used to ship you two together. I saw your battle and when you beat him you still helped him up and offered him the same spot on Fairy Tail. I thought that was incredibly kind and generous to do that for somebody. I used to ship you two together.” I laughed at the young lady knowing that her and Levy would have a very sisterly relationship. 

“You’re going to really get along with my best friend Levy Mcgarden, she’s been shipping me and my best friend Gray since we were kids. Now she’s probably either going to outcast me or switch to your side of the spectrum.” I looked down at the bolt of lightning necklace as I so often did and hoped that Levy wouldn’t hate me by the end of everything.

“Why would she hate you? If she’s your best friend than I’m sure that she’ll follow you no matter what decisions that you make.” Maki asked me and I smiled at the naive young girl but maybe she could be right as I sighed deeply blowing a bubble with my gum. 

“I’m worried that when she hears my decision to give up on my infatuation with Gray and see’s this necklace that she’s going to throw a fit and half of the guild will probably not like me anymore. I’m still extremely confused by this entire scenario myself so I have no idea what’s going on with my love life. It’s complicated and I wish that I could just make the right decision and follow my heart.” I sighed and realized that I was being a complete erk right now and instantly reached into my purse. 

“Want some gum? I have blue raspberry and strawberry gumballs since they make the biggest bubbles when you work at it.” I asked my new friend who smiled and took some of the blue raspberry gum. 

“Thank you, I’m sorry if I’m being too pushy. I just really admired you when I was younger, hell who am I kidding I still do admire you.” I laughed at the younger girl and she smiled over at me. 

“It’s fine, you’re not being too pushy. My life is just a little bit complicated right now and I wish that it wasn’t. Anyways, switching topics, is there anything about our guild that you’re wondering about?” I asked the young woman and she thought about it.    
“I do have a couple of question, one of them being how do teams work?” I looked off into the distance seeing the guild hall just up the road. 

“Well, when you eventually make friends, most of the time they will invite you on jobs. We have a lot of teams but they are always looking for new members. There’s the Awesome Team Shadowgear which is made up of my friends Levy, Jet and Droy, there’s also team S-Class but we rarely ever team up to do a job since that would be considered far too overpowered and nobody could beat us. I used to be in a team with Laxus but that was more of a partnership. Those are far more common than teams are because it’s easier if you just work with one other person than three or more.” I explained to my newest member as we walked up the road and were almost at the guildhall. 

“Wow, so I can either work with a pair or just work on my own?” I nodded my head and smiled to myself at the sight of my second home. 

“That’s right, though if I were you I would say get a partner. Having a partner is way more fun than traveling by yourself and it becomes a lot easier because you’ll have someone to talk to. I nearly went insane on my last year long job because I hadn’t taken anyone with me and I was alone throughout the entire trip. I thought that since I knew Sokovia the best I should do it alone.” I told the young girl has we reached the guildhall and I held the door open for her. 

“Welcome to Fairy Tail Maki, your home away from home.” I told the young girl who almost ran through the doors to just get a glimpse of the real place. It was already packed with people and I smiled at everyone seeing all my friends that weren’t there when I got back yesterday. 

“Wow!! I can’t believe that this is actually what it looks like from the inside!!” Maki cheered happily as I saw Mirajane came over to the both of us. 

“Oh, hello there, what’s your name?” Mirajane greeted the young girl and she froze in place almost quite literally as I smiled at her. 

“This is Maki, she has the same magic that I do. I met her yesterday and she wanted to become a Fairy Tail member isn’t that right?” Maki nodded her head excitedly and I smiled at her. 

“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you then, I’m Mirajane but everyone around here calls me Mira. Would you mind giving us a little demonstration of your magic?” Maki nodded though I could see that she was slightly nervous as she made a bow and arrow from ice and I smiled at her nodding my head. 

“That’s really good, your structure needs a little bit of work but I can see a lot of potential in your magic.” Gray complimented and I laughed over at my best friend. 

“Says the same guy who could barely make weapons until I taught him how to defend himself using his ice powers.” I joked and Maki laughed at the both of us interacting with each other and I knew that bringing her here would be a great idea. 

“Why don’t we get your emblem on you?” Mira offered putting down her tray of drinks and little Maki just nodded her head at the question excitedly. 

“What is that?” Gray asked me as he saw my necklace and I could almost feel the awkwardness as I sighed. 

“Is Levy here yet Mira? Because I want to get this over with if they both hate me.” I asked my friend as she looked at me with kind hearted eyes as she took my hand. 

“They’re your best friends, surely they will understand if this is what you want to do. I did see Levy though she was talking to Lucy earlier.” My friend told me and I fingered the end of the necklace in a nervous habit. 

“Thanks Mira, I just really don’t want to lose my two best friends.” I told Mira as Gray was still confused as to what was going on with me and why I was acting so oddly. 

“Is something wrong with you? What is it? You know that you can tell me anything right?” I nodded my head looking around for Levy finding her finally still talking with Lucy and I took a deep breath. I just wanted to do this and if they hated me then they weren’t really my best friends anymore.

“Hey Lucy, sorry if I’m interrupting something but I kinda need to borrow my best friend for a little while. I’m only going to say this once and it’s kind of a big deal.” I apologized to Lucy as she just bumped my shoulder. 

“It’s cool, just don’t keep me out of the loop okay?” I smiled nodding my head as I slid into the booth in between my two best friends. 

“What is wrong with you Ids? Is it your parents?” I shook my head at the question just taking a deep breath and fingering the end of the necklace. 

“It’s not my parents at all, we’re still strained but I don’t want to talk about them right now. It’s time for a little full disclosure. I’m still trying to make up my mind about what I’m going to do but for the most part I think I’ve got it figured out. Here goes nothing. Gray, for the longest time I thought that if I were going to have a monogamous relationship with anybody it would be you now before you freak out--” He cut me off with a laugh and I looked at Levy with a raised eyebrow at him and a thumb jerked in his direction. 

“You’re kidding right? This is a joke?” I shook my head at my best friend before he froze on the other side of the booth. 

“I’m sorry but I don’t see you like that-” Before he could finish his apology I shook my head at him with a small smile. 

“I know that now and I was going to say that it’s mostly gone now and I no longer have feelings for you.” I admitted and Levy turned to the both of us and smiled at me. 

“I guess I should stop shipping Griana huh?” I laughed at my best friend as Gray looked at her like she had just said the worst possible thing on the planet. 

“We’re not done though, that was just how I wanted to start this conversation. Before I left last year, I had somewhat of a heart to heart with Laxus and he gave me this. I haven’t taken it off ever since he gave it to me, for some reason it felt too important to do that since I knew that it was a piece of his lightning and that was too precious for me to take for granted. Some days in Sokovia, it was the only thing that kept me going and kept me sane, like reuniting with my parents, that was fun. I hated that by the way, it was so not fun I’ll talk more about them later. Anyways, the entire time I was gone I was wondering what on earth this thing means and why I couldn’t for the life of me take it off unless I was asleep. Turns out, he gave this to me in an effort to get to understand his feelings for me that he’s always had. Everything he’s done was because of the fact that I started hanging around you more Gray. I acted like a horrible friend and completely dropped our partnership overtime because I fell in love with you. When he challenged me to the S-Class battle I think he went into it knowing that I would win and he could leave Fairy Tail forever. I don’t think he was expecting me to offer his hand up and tell him that he didn’t have to leave. I don’t want either of you to hate me but I want to take him up on his offer--” Levy cut me off at that a worried look in her eyes. 

“Are you sure you don’t just want to give him back the necklace and tell him that you’re not interested?” I shook my head at the question knowing that she would wonder about that. 

“I would never do that!! He gave this to me after working on it for nearly five years to try to give it to me at the proper moment. I know that I probably sound like a raving mad women but we all know that I’ve always had a lot of faith in Laxus that he would come back one day and I could see him smile again.  I betrayed him because I was a stupid kid who was caught up in a lustful infatuation, no offense Gray.” My best guy friend just looked at me and I could tell that he was trying to digest all of this information. 

“So the reason he’s been such a dick lately is because he didn’t think that he mattered to you anymore?” I nodded my head shyly and folded my hands in my lap trying to tell them everything. 

“That’s about right, it doesn’t excuse everything but believe me when I say that I’m going to get answers out of him when he gets here. He’s not charm talking or teasing his way out of this one that’s for sure. I deserve some answers out of him before I make the decision to fully give this back to him.” I hadn’t even looked up on the second floor yet when Mira came over to our booth. 

“I take it that you told them? It’s a lot to digest isn’t it? I was certainly shocked when I saw that he had finally given it to her.” Mira noted and handed me a tall glass of water and my favorite drink as well. 

“He’s seriously had that since she was ten?” Gray asked the young waitress who nodded her head and smiled kindly at me. 

“It was rather adorable for me to see him act that way. It was sort of love at first sight for him just about. I thought he was bluffing when he said the first day that he met you that you were the most beautiful girl that he had ever seen.” I looked down and fought the blush on my cheeks and ended up losing the battle and took a sip from my water bottle. 

“Aww that’s so sweet!! That’s it, I’m shipping it, what am I going to call it though--” Gray cut off my best friend by talking over her and I laughed at the sheer look of effrontery that she had for my him for cutting her off. 

“Mira, you knew about this the entire time?” He asked her and she nodded her head with a sweet smile on her face. 

“Of course I did!! It was rather obvious that he was feeling that way towards her and before this mess, he used to tell me everything.” I heard the guild hall door open and Laxus entered while the rest of the room went dead silent. You could just about hear a pin drop and it wouldn’t surprise me he stopped walking at the midway point and looked over at me with Mira and my friends. I guessed that he saw the necklace because for the first time in years I saw an actual smile on his face, not a sneer but a smile like how I used to see when I was a kid. Everyone seemed to start whispering even more after that and I covered my ears expecting an outburst but it never came surprisingly. I uncovered my ears and sighed thankfully that he didn’t lose his cool for once. 

“Wow, he didn’t lose his temper and he smiled, that’s a first for the last what five-ish years?” I nodded my head, that sounded about right actually and I smiled to myself. 

“It’s because he saw the glint of the necklace in the sunlight and he didn’t want to scare you by yelling, I’m calling it right now.” I nudged Levy harshly with my elbow shaking my head at my shipper best friend. 

“Besides we already have a ship name, my friend Maki told me what it is, it’s Idinus.” I whispered to my best friend who nodded her head approvingly and Gray shook his head at me. 

“I’m not going to lie and say to be careful but I think you got this covered right Idina?” I nodded my head and pulled the ice necklace out of my bag. 

“I can’t take full credit for this idea but I made it and Romeo helped by giving me the idea.” I told my three close friends as Gray gently lifted the object and I saw a faint smile on my best friends face. 

“It’s beautiful, when are you going to give it to him?” I sank my shoulders gently and pushed a lock of hair behind my ear. 

“Once I figure out these complicated as hell feelings. Probably by my birthday he’ll be wearing hopefully.” I took the necklace back before Levy took it and smiled as it dangled between her fingers. 

“I happen to think that it’s amazing that you can just figure out this much in such a short amount of time. You should go and try to talk to him though Idina.” I nodded my head taking my water bottle and blue raspberry lemonade upstairs to the second floor. I saw Laxus slip off his headphones and I sat down next to him and pushed a stray lock of hair behind my ear. 

“You wore your hair down, I used to love when you did that.” I blushed slightly at the compliment even though I smiled faintly. 

“I thought that you would say that, I have to admit that I forgot how much it annoyed me when it got in my face. How was your last job?” I asked my old friend as he smiled shrugging his shoulders. 

“Boring slightly but I got the money for it, how about you? How was Sokovia? You got your accent back slightly.” I blushed again knowing that had to have been true but nobody else brought it up to me, I guess that he was the only one that noticed it was happening. 

“It was okay, really long and really lonely but most of it was mediocre. I had to see my parents so that was awkward as hell and I hated that but it had to be done. I guess a part of me really needed that closer for some odd reason.” Laxus turned to look at me concern and worryment lacing his eyes. 

“Are you okay with the closer that you got?” I nodded my head with a small smile at my friend turned love interest in the last twenty-four hours. 

“I guess so does that make sense? I mean if nothing else it helped me figure out whether or not I was going to keep my last name. I’m going to change it officially and finally. On my birthday, I’m changing my name to Conbolt since Sorcerer Weekly will most likely already be here. I’m no longer a Macallister so I have no idea why I even stuck to that name as long as I did.” I told Laxus and I could see his smile and I knew that I was doing the right thing giving up on my lust for Gray to more focus on what was real and right in front of me.    
“You’re probably wondering about why I gave you the necklace right?” Damn, right down to business almost, that was unexpected. 

“I am a little bit lost as to why you choose to give it to me. I mean you could have anyone that you wanted but you chose me and I’m a little bit confused as to why you did.” I mentioned to my love interest as he shook his head at me though I could see the sorrow and regret in his eyes. 

“I didn’t want to just give it to anyone, I wanted to give it to you. I don’t really know how to explain why I felt that pull towards you but what I do know is that if you just give me that chance to treat you right you’ll never regret it. I’m a coward, I’m arrogant, I can be somewhat of an ass but I’ve loved you since you were eleven years old. I should have no right to your heart but all I want is a chance. You don’t have to give me an answer right now, since you’ve just recently gotten over Gray but I want to just have an iota of a chance. I love every side of you, the side that gets motion sick unless she’s distracted by something, the side that helped me up when she kicked my ass into the ground, the side that gets easily overwhelmed by shouting and yelling, the side that insists on trying to hide her adorable accent, the side that blushes at the simplest of compliments at her insanely talented magical ability, the part that laughs at Levy’s over exaggerated nature and the part of you that sends everyone a loving smile and looks out for all the members even the ones that have made shitty decisions.” As I was listening to Laxus explain all of these feelings I felt my heart speed up and got little stomach butterflies every time he made eye contact with me. 

“It wasn’t just you that made the bad decisions, I was being a horrible friend and I never even realized. You had every right to react the way that you did since you were constantly getting sidelined. I realize now that my ‘feelings’ for Gray was just me trying to take the safe route since I knew that he would never feel the same way about me. It was the safest way for me to never get into a relationship with anybody and thus never had to get my heart broken. I never would have imagined that you would feel this way for me though maybe I’m just as dense as a pile of rocks, even Romeo, yes my younger brother knew that I was making a bad decision.” Laxus laughed at me for the first time in years but it still had the same effect. I always loved his bright and booming laugh that reacted much like his magic. 

“You weren’t a bad friend if anything that was me and my jealous ass. I shouldn’t have challenged you the way that I did but I went into that fight knowing that you would beat me and I wouldn’t have to see you blushing at Gray anymore and I could go and be miserable somewhere else until well I didn’t think that far ahead.” I smiled at Laxus because I knew that he was doing that for that reason. 

“I knew it!! I always wondered why you would suddenly challenge me to a fight like that. You really have that much faith in my abilities?” I asked my old friend taking a gentle sip from my water bottle. 

“Of course I do, your magic far exceeds my own even if we are both Dragon Slayers. I always loved working with you because it would mean that we could kickass together and that meant a lot to me. Our partnership meant a lot to me because it gave me that grounding so that I wouldn’t go too much overkill. I would just look at your beautiful smile and would know not to hurt you by doing something stupid.” I smiled at my lightning dragon slayer knowing that this was right and this felt right. 

“I was going to wait to give you this until I figured out what I wanted and my feelings were figured out but…” I reached into my sweatshirt pocket and pulled out the ice lightning bolt necklace so that he could see it at least. His eyes widened and I could see how emotionally stunned he was at the sight of what I made for him. 

“This is from your ice magic….” I nodded my head brightly and smiled looking down at my own necklace. 

“Your necklace, it helped me through a lot this last year. When I had to interrogate the villagers and they yelled at me for doing so I would just finger the bottom of it to help me quell that anxiety that I have. Especially when I went to visit my parents and they just about threw me out of the house. It gave me hope that you still cared about me and my brother gave me the idea last night to make the same thing for you. It’ll never melt too!! I figured out how to minimize my ice freeze spell that used to make me faint remember?” I asked my old friend as he held the necklace still stunned in his hands. 

“Of course I do, that spell used to scare the shit outta me when I first saw it. I had to carry you back to the hotel where we were staying on that job. I thought I lost you that day.” I remembered that day vividly and I looked down at my hands with a soft smile at the memory of him carrying me back to the hotel.  

“I remember that day, we had to take down one of the biggest monsters that I have ever seen to this day being an S-Class wizard. It as an all or nothing, I knew that I could do it the question is would it work and would I promptly pass out. The answer was yes to both questions.” I heard my old friend laugh at me still holding the necklace in his hands. 

“I had to call Gramps when I got back to the hotel because I was basically freaking out. You looked so frail and helpless after you passed out and I was just a kid, not even seventeen yet. That was one of the last jobs that we did together.” I looked down at my feet nervously and I saw Laxus try to put on the necklace with eventual success.    
“I love it, thank you snowflake. Do you still need time to figure things out?” I nodded my head at the question moving hair behind my ear. 

“I’d like to learn to love you so that we’re on the same page here. We could have something really special but I don’t want things to feel one sided. Give me two weeks, my birthday, I’ll have your answer.” I promised my old friend and I saw him look over at me with all the love that he had for me and I just about melted wondering why I was even bothering with the waiting. 

“You don’t have to do that, but I’ll respect your decision. Can I still wear this?” He gestured to the necklace and I nodded my head happily with a small smile at my old friend. 

“Of course you can!! I’m still going to wear yours so we’re even now. I don’t think I can physically take this thing off let alone leave it off.” I joked and Laxus just smiled easily at me and I reached into my purse. 

“For old times sake?” I handed him my bag of strawberry gumballs that I always kept since they were his favorite and I still liked them too sometimes. He gratefully took two of the gumballs and popped them into his mouth with a smile. 

“I missed this you know? Just the two of us talking and I’m really sorry that I acted like such an ass.” I smiled at my best friend shaking my head at him.    
“You weren’t the only one that I acted out of character, I was at fault too. Thinking about it now, I have no idea why I was in love with Gray in the first place. Maybe I wasn’t this entire time and I just wanted to lie to myself.” I looked down and picked up my blue raspberry lemonade with a small smile. 

“I’m sure that there must have been a reason but he turned you down didn't he?” I laughed at Laxus as I saw the look of sheer death in his eyes. 

“Yes, you can cool it mr. green monster, he laughed in my face and asked me if I was joking around.” Laxus blushed lightly when I teased him about his jealousy and I started to smile while shaking my head. 

“I don’t get jealous…” I raised my eyebrow at my soon to be boyfriend sending him the look of bitch you’re being sarcastic right? 

“Nice try buddy, Mira already ratted you out on that action and told me about all the times that you threatened to kill Gray for getting too close to me. You have a jealousy issue my dear friend, not that it’s a bad thing so does my dad and that’s why him and Enno didn’t work out. He wanted commitment and she didn’t, it’s one of the reasons why I’m monogamous plus I’m just really shy.” I mentioned shyly to my old friend and saw him smile at me. 

“You’re not shy, once you get to know someone you can talk their ear off about just about anything that you want to. That’s what happened with me and  you remember? Alright I’ll admit it, I have a jealous streak when it comes to you, happy?” I laughed at my best friend blowing a bubble with the gum that was in my mouth as I saw the door opened and my dad and Romeo came walking through the door. Romeo was carrying his Snoopy as everyone greeted him and I smiled at my younger brother from up on the second floor. 

“Your little brother is actually rather adorable.” I nodded my head at my friend knowing that my younger brother really liked Laxus even if he had a slight jealous streak. 

“He really likes you too you know? He never saw the logic in why I liked Gray but when I explained to him how complicated things are he was more than willing to help try and figure out why I was feeling the way that I was towards you.” I told my love interest and he smiled down at my younger brother. 

“I didn’t think that him or your dad liked me anymore. I used to look up Macao when I was younger similarly to everybody else that was a kid around this place. He’s a great father with you and Romeo, light years above my old man.” I sighed at my best friend, I had never really met his dad since that was kind of after I got there but from the stories that Laxus had told me he was far from father of the year. 

“My dad is incredible, he’s always there for me when I need him to be. He loves me and Romeo equally which is what I was anxious about for the first two years of his life that since I wasn’t biologically his he wouldn’t love me as much as Romes. He became one of my best friends and closest confidants when he got older though and I tell him just about everything.” I saw my younger brother look around for me before seeing me on the second level where he wasn’t allowed to be yet. He waved to me though with Snoopy’s hand and I waved back to him. 

“You can bring him up here if you want. I know that I used to have issues with people that aren’t S-Class up here but with your brother I don’t really mind so much.” I smiled at my old friend seeing him back to his old self and almost fell in trying to stand up but caught my balance. 

“You didn’t see that right?” I could tell by the smirk that he totally did and I flushed in humiliation while trying to get down the stairs without another incident as I heard Laxus laugh at me. I found my brother who was looking for a place to sit down with one of the other wizards. 

“Hey Romes, want to come and sit on the second floor for a little while?” I asked my younger brother and he looked back at me with a curious gaze. 

“Are you sure that it’s okay? Laxus won’t get mad at me for doing it?” I shook my head at my little brother as I got down on his level. 

“He won’t, I promise. I will never let him get mad at you okay? This is the first time I’ve had a legitimate conversation without wanting to lose my temper with him. He actually invited you to come and sit with us for a little while.” I saw my brother tentatively look up at the second floor seeing Laxus blowing a bubble with his gum while watching me interacting with him. 

“Okay, I’ll come with you, I’ve always been curious as to what’s up there.” I laughed at my little brother who carried his stuffed animal up the stairs while I was right behind him and mouthed a thank you to my old friend for allowing my little brother to spend time with us up here since I wanted Romeo to get used to him. 

“And this is it pretty much, not much different from the lower ground floors.” I explained to my little brother but he just shook his head. 

“I want to up here someday, hopefully when you two are still working.” My little brother said and I wanted to hug him so badly. 

“It’s mostly just a title thing but it doesn’t hurt. You get to take the bigger paying jobs and that’s a really big perk. But, the downside is most of the time, you work on your own.” Laxus mentioned to my younger brother and I could see Romeo smile at him. 

“You two used to work together though, that must have been quite a sight.” I laughed at my younger brother and hugged him tightly because that time I just couldn’t help it. 

“We were a hell of a team, until I ended up ruining it.” I said mostly to myself but Laxus just shook his head at me. 

“I was the jealous jerk so that just means that it wasn’t your fault. Not by a longshot snowflake.” I smiled at the nickname and felt my little brother turn towards my old friend. 

“I don’t think that you’re a jerk Laxus, in fact I’ve always had faith just like my sister that you would start acting like you used to with her.” Romeo smiled at my old friend and I could see Laxus’s eyes widen in surprise. 

“I had no idea that more than one person had faith in me before now. Who’s your stuffed animal friend there? Your sister used to collect a bunch of them, hell I gave her a few of them to add to her collection.” My little brother stuck out Snoopy’s hand and smiled at Laxus. 

“This is Snoopy, I know my sister still has the polar bear that she still sleeps with every night.” I blushed a flaming red and tried to hide my face from the sheer embarrassment. 

“Remind me why I extended the oh so kind offer for you to sit up here Romeo?” I asked my younger brother as I tried to calm down my facial features by drinking some water. 

“You didn’t extend the offer snowflake, I did. That’s adorable though, I thought that you wouldn’t have kept it after all the garbage that I pulled.” I smiled at the man across from me and my brother who was currently on my lap. 

“She’s never gotten rid of it, his name is Richard. Sometimes, when I hear my sister having a nightmare, I’ll go in there quietly and find him on the floor and give him to her so that she’ll calm down.” Romeo told my old friend and I smiled at my younger brother never knowing that he had actually done that before. 

“When did you do this Romes?” I asked my little brother who turned in his embrace and I smiled at him. 

“Not very often, but if I go in there and I see Richard on the floor and you woke me up then I’ll just carefully move him back into your arms.” My younger brother assured me and I smiled ruffling his hair. 

“What do you think about your sister taking your last name?” Laxus asked my little brother and he smiled happily cuddling into his stuffed animals fur. 

“I’m really excited about it!! I always have to explain how I do have an older sister but she has a different last name than I do. I always had to say that she was my foster sister and that’s a mouthful.” My little brother laughed and Laxus smiled over at him. 

“I’m sure that your dad is excited too, he’s been trying to get Idina to take his last name for as long as she’s been here practically and he first took an interest in adopting her as his own. Snowflake stuck to her guns though and didn’t want to change her last name without her original parents permission.” Laxus mentioned to Romeo and he cocked his head to the side. 

“Snowflake?” He asked in confusion and Laxus laughed at my little brother’s confusion. 

“I gave her that nickname when I first saw her magic for the first time since it was different from everything that I had ever seen in my life and every snowflake is different too. Even though we had Gray at the time, her magic still was entirely  her own and able to do a lot more damage.” Laxus explained the origin of my snowflake nickname with him and Romeo just nodded his head at him. 

“That makes sense, I love when sissy makes me snowmen she doesn’t do it very often unless I’m really sad.” Romeo told my old friend who knew exactly what he was talking about since I had used that spell for children in villages when we did missions together. 

“She used to use that same spell when we visited small villages and the children would go nuts. I used to tease her for being a showoff with her magic and she would just laugh at me. She used to freeze the ground too and then teach the children how to ice skate, that was adorable.” I smiled at the memory of doing all these things that used to have the girls in the towns flock to where I was doing my demonstrations. 

“Hey, it’s a part of our magic, what’s the point in having it if you can’t make kids happy? That’s one of the big reasons why I love being S-Class because so many kids especially around here will stop me on the street and sometimes I’ll even make a new friend like I did with Maki last night. She’s an ice wizard too and she has very similar magic to what I have.” I told the lightning mage who just smirked over at me. 

“She does? Well I’ll just have to meet her and find out if your magic is better.” I pointed her out to Laxus as she was giving a demonstration to the master and Mira. 

“Your magic is still better snowflake, but I think that comes with practice. Are you going to work with her on her magic?” I shook my head and looked down seeing Gray already talking with her about her magical abilities and how he could help her. 

“Looks like he’s got this thing covered, I’d like to see him teach a new wizard the ropes. Even though I brought her here, I think Gray needs to have some amount of interaction with the newer wizards.” I reasoned with Laxus and my brother and they both nodded while looking out at the craziness that was happening downstairs. 

“What are you going to do for your birthday?” My love interest asked me and I shrugged my shoulders. 

“Probably throw another huge party here and then have dinner with my dad and this little kiddo. Same as every year, why asking?” I asked my friend who just shook his head as if weighing his options. 

“No particular reason just curious, I still can’t believe that you’re going to be eighteen…” I laughed at my best friend as my little brother rested his head on my shoulder. 

“It’s surprising even to myself but you know at the same time it’s not. Maybe it’s just because I feel older than I actually am if that makes sense.” I said to Laxus and he just smiled at me. 

“It makes perfect sense to me, than again I can understand where you’re coming from. We’ve both been through a lot as kids but I can say with pride that you are the strongest woman that I’ve ever met in my entire life. For somebody that says they don’t like fighting you’re almost too good at it.” Romeo looked at my partner with a curious gaze. 

“Sissy has always been a pacifist but her magic is highly useful and beautiful at the same time.” Romeo defended and I laughed at my younger brother ruffling his hair gently. 

“That’s true, and I know full well how destructive her magic can be. I was in the Fairy hospital for at least three weeks after our first battle.” I stuck my tongue out at my best friend while Romeo just laughed at him. 

“I don’t remember that fight but from the stories that I’ve been told you had that coming.” He mentioned and I looked at Romeo slightly surprised at the fact that he was being so open with Laxus. 

“You kind of did have that coming Laxus, still sorry about that by the way.” I apologized and he just smiled at me shrugging his shoulders. 

“Don’t apologize to me, I had that coming a mile away. I might as well have made a deal with the devil when I challenged you.” He reminded and I blushed while thinking about this entire thing. Laxus was still the same man deep down that I had grown up with and it felt different just talking to him after years of our relationship being strained at the best mostly do to my own stupid fault choosing Gray over him. I think that is the kind of thing that is going to follow me to my grave, not noticing how much Laxus truly cared about me because I was too busy caught in a lustful infatuation something that felt hilarious to me who needed an emotional connection with somebody in order to even consider them a contender. 

“Hey, what’s going on in there?” Laxus asked gently flicking my head so that I could shake myself out of my stupor. 

“Nothing, I’m fine. Just thinking, sorry did you ask me something?” I quickly covered up my own thoughts but I could see that neither one of them were believing anything that I was saying. 

“Nice try snowflake, you can’t lie to either one of us. You were always the worst liar. The truth this time.” Laxus promented and I sighed deeply just trying to gain enough courage to really talk about this with another person. 

“I just feel bad, this whole time I could’ve had a relationship with you if I were just less scared of what would have happened but no, I decided to forgo all forms of friendship simply because I was caught by something that was simply based on looks and nothing else. Which is so weird for me but alas I have no idea what I was thinking.” I said and looked down at my feet that were covered with my usual sneakers that I had designed with snowflakes on the sides until Laxus gently lifted up my chin with the tip of his finger. 

“What have I told you? Don’t feel bad because I was a jerk and should’ve dealt with my anger a lot better than I did. I shouldn’t have been such a jealous jerk because you wanted to have a relationship with somebody that wasn’t me for once.” Laxus said and I smiled faintly at him when Romeo turned to me. 

“I think I’m ready to go back downstairs sissy.” I nodded my head at my brother allowing him to get off my lap and slowly go down the stairs careful not to fall down and I smiled at him when he went to go and sit with dad. 

“You’ve always had a really good bond with that little brother of yours. I remember when he was first born though and you were scared that Macao wouldn’t want you anymore though.” Laxus remembered and I smiled to myself taking a swig of my water. 

“I do too, you can’t really blame me though. I wasn’t even his real daughter only somebody that he had living in his house because I had nowhere else to go. I know that he thought of me as his daughter but other than that I didn’t know to react especially when just a few months after Romeo was born Enno filed for divorce and that just left the three of us with no mother figure for Romeo.” I smiled at the memory though all the same because without my two best friends in the entire world I would have probably never even made it past the first year after she left. 

“She was always faulty anyways, it’s not your problem. You easily took her place in raising Romeo and he turned out great.” Laxus complimented and I smiled shyly at my best friend with a blush on my cheeks easily humiliated. 

“I hardly did anything, the kid just started clinging to me and I found that to be the easiest thing. Giving him someone to relate to even though the age gap was huge. Sometimes he’s the only one that understands how I feel since I’m not that great with people. Talking to the villagers in Sokovia was seriously hard!!” I ran a hand through my blonde hair and saw Laxus start to laugh at me. 

“I always had to talk to the people while you just stood around and looked adorable not that you didn’t help. You were always better at the physical things in missions we both prefer just doing that. Maybe that’s why we worked so well together.” I smiled at Laxus knowing that while we hadn’t fixed everything that this was better than nothing. 

“I think you might be right about that, it was always more fun when we did jobs together. I wish I hadn’t ruined it by being so ignorant of your feelings. I can’t believe me of all people, a demisexual who is more on the ace side of the spectrum fell into what could only be classified as lust.” I laughed to myself as I shrank into myself a little bit across from my best friend. 

“It happens to everybody, it just makes you more human. Even people that aren’t as interested in sex still can fall for people based on sheer looks alone. Don’t beat yourself about it so hard or else you’ll never be able to move forward.” Laxus advised and I knew that he was right about that. I shouldn’t beat myself up too much about feelings and emotions that I had for Gray or else I could never ever move forward onto a better relationship with him.

“You’re right Laxus, for once you’re the level headed one.” I teased and saw the faintest trace of a smirk on my old friend and future partner’s mouth. 

“You’re not always level headed yourself snowflake, remember when that monster made me fall into a pit when we were on our first job? You totally inalitied that thing and it was almost scary to see that happening.” I laughed at him for bringing that old story of the vault that was his brain. 

“Where’d you dig that story up? It’s been at least eight years since we did that job.” I laughed at the memory even harder and almost swallowed the gum that I was chewing but caught myself. 

“Has it really been that long since you were that little? It feels like just yesterday that you first walked into the guild hall with the old man right in front of you showing you how things worked around here. I thought that you were really adorable but you needed to smile a lot more.” I looked at my first partner with a soft smile on my face. 

“Not exactly my fault, I had never been treated with kindness aside from Isilda before I got here. Overtime, I changed into the happy camper that you see today. It just took me a couple of months before I could open up to others. You were the first one that I ever opened up to since you just stuck by my side and were my mentor teaching me how the missions and everything worked. I don’t know about you but it feels like just yesterday that Natsu got here too. He got here shortly after I did.” I remembered the little dragon slayer who was the first dragon slayer that I had truly ever seen before. 

“I remember how you two would just talk about how your dragon mentors differed aside from the obvious. As kids, that was my biggest fear, that you would choose Natsu over me.” I laughed at Laxus not at all expecting that one but now that I thought about it I wasn’t surprised. 

“Now that’s funny, no way would I ever in a million years date Natsu!! That’s worse than Gray for crying out loud.” I smiled at my old friend with what I hoped was understanding in my eyes. 

“I see that now, you’re too smart for him.” I laughed even harder at my old friend as I saw the fire dragon slayer downstairs glaring daggers up at him. 

“I heard that you punk!!” His hand lit on fire and I knew instantly that he was either going to aim for me or for Laxus so when he threw the fireball I blocked it out of practice with my ice magic freezing it in its place. 

“Natsu, we’ve been through this before, don’t throw fireballs just because someone made a snide comment.” Mirajane reminded the younger wizard and I laughed at her when Natsu pouted. 

“I wouldn’t say that I’m too smart for him, I would say he’s more like to hotheaded.” I heard the groan of disapproval from my former partner and I laughed at his reaction to my punny joke. 

“Can’t say that I missed those, even if as a kid they were really cute.” I nudged his shoulder feeling yet again that literal bolt of electricity go through me. I guessed that I should probably get used to having that happening since he is a lightning wizard. 

“Oh, you loved my puns when we were younger, get over yourself. I know my jokes are awful but at least I have enough in me to be able to laugh at myself.” I smiled at the other guild members taking another drink from my blue raspberry frozen lemonade. 

“I wouldn’t say that they are awful per say, but that was not one of your better ones.” Laxus had a soft sweet smile on his face though and I found myself blushing deeply for no reason really and I was confused as to why I was blushing. He hadn’t flirted with me or done anything like that maybe this was just something that I would have to get used to again. 

“You’re thinking too hard again, what’s going on in there?” He gently flicked my forehead and I shook myself to try and get back to reality. 

“Just thinking about my feelings towards you and trying to sort everything out. I can’t believe that I never noticed that you were feeling this way towards me, that you loved me. Now that I know, it’s like the most obvious thing in the world and I should have figured it out on my own without Gramps needing to tell me what this necklace meant in terms of lightning dragon slayers.” Laxus put an arm around my shoulders and I looked at him in surprise but it felt so warm and comforting that I just sank into the warmth that he was giving me. 

“I should have handled myself better and I regret a lot of things but the most is that I teased you and I bullied you because I wasn’t the one that you had chosen to see in a romantic light.” I smiled at my old friend because this was what love was supposed to feel like. It was complicated, but at the same time it was simple and everybody could understand it. It was warm, almost too warm but at the same time you always wanted more of it. Love was comforting, it was protective, it was complex and with the right person it could be for lack of better word electrifying. 

“You didn’t bully me Laxus, you teased me sure but we always teased each other. Gramps reminded me of that yesterday. Nothing has changed in our friendship we just grew up. I’ll be honest with you, when we were kids I had the biggest crush on you. Before Gray, it was always you. I hide my feelings really well from others so that’s why you ang Gray never really knew that I was harboring feelings for you. When I felt like you were changing and suddenly you were challenging me and I won I felt like you didn’t want me around so instead I turned my feelings to Gray.” I tried to explain my feelings that a younger me had for the lightning mage and he looked at me with all the love he had for me. 

“Why didn’t you just talk to me snowflake? We could have easily just avoided my whole angsty teenager phase where the world sucks if you had just talked to me about how you were feeling.” Laxus asked me and I blushed pushing a stray white blonde curl behind my ear. 

“I was scared of losing our friendship and I was too much of a coward to face my feelings. My dad said that I was too focused on what might not hurt me in the end since I knew that Gray would never reciprocate my feelings for him. I was too much of a coward but I’m through with that life.” I told my partner and he looked back at me bumping my nose with his. 

“You don’t have to be scared with me, say what’s on your mind and I’ll listen to it. Just be yourself and I’ll love you all the same either way, you’re one of the most important people in my life, in fact scratch that, you are the most important person in my life. Nobody can ever replace you so there’s no reason to be scared of what will happen if you’re assertive or just honest with me in general.” Laxus reminded me and I threw my arms around him in a tight hug. I felt him stiffen and then begin to hug me back just as tightly as I melted into his hug and the warmth that it gave to me. 

“You want the truth? I’m already falling for you, I’m such a mess right now. My feelings are like eighty five percent figured out but there’s still that small part of me that is scared but I think by the end of the week that part of me will be gone.” I realized that when I hugged Laxus it was the first time that I had felt wholly me in a long time and all the things that I was thinking just started pouring out of me. Laxus continued to just hold me and I felt tears start to come to my eyes that he gently wiped away without a care in the world. 

“I hope that you’re not just telling me this because it’s what I want to hear from you. When you’re comfortable with me and how you’re feeling than we’ll fix everything okay?” He comforted and I blushed looking up into the blue but almost gray eyes of my best friend. 

“I’m not telling you this because it’s what you want to hear. It’s what I want to say and it was what I was thinking. You know me, I have an issue with my brain to mouth flitter. Usually if I’m thinking it, it’s usually out in the open.” I joked and Laxus laughed at me openly and I smiled to myself at the feeling of the laughter that came from the belly as I stayed where I was clinging to my partner like he was a lifeline. 

“That’s true, another adorable quality about you though snowflake. I love you.” I sunk into that feeling of him just being with me and I smiled at him. I heard the guild doors swing open and in walked the crimson haired warrior that I had looked up to since I had gotten here even though we were really close in terms of age. 

“Is the master here?” I looked up at the red haired wizard with a small smile moving from Laxus as he pouted at me. 

“Welcome back, Master is at a regular meeting.” Mirajane greeted and I smiled at both of them wen Laxus’s hand reached for mine to give an encouraging squeeze and I smiled to myself squeezing his hand back. 

“Erza, what is that giant thing?” One of the other wizards asked her and I laughed at the giant horn that was bejeweled with various colors. 

“The horn of the monster I defeat. The locals decided to decorate it and give it to me as a souvenir. Got a problem with it?” Me and Laxus both started to laugh at the young woman in front of us. 

“N-No not at all!!” The person objected and I smiled at the swordswoman that I loved working with even if she did go overkill. 

“Think she knows about an incident at Mount Hakabe?” Wakaba asked my dad and I saw the color drain from his face.    
“He went on a mission to try and defeat twenty monsters all by himself and got taken over by the twentieth one. Me and Natsu had to go and save his ass.” I whispered to my partner when he looked really confused.

“All of you!! I heard a bunch of rumors while I was away. About how Fairy Tail keeps causing problems. Master might forgive you but I will not!! Cana how dare you drink in such an undignified manor!!” I laughed to myself as she just started digging into everybody. 

“Are Natsu, Gray and Idina here?” I raised my hand from the upper levels knowing that she must want something from me. 

“She just got back from her job yesterday morning and took a second job in the afternoon for no reward. She rescued Macao.” Mirajane explained to the woman and I smiled at her looking back at Laxus. 

“She must need me for something, we’ll talk more once I get back from my job.” I kissed his cheek before going down the stairs and giving Erza a mock salute. 

“The both of us are getting along great today as usual!!” I laughed at the two of my best friends since they had been fighting right before she had came through the guild hall doors. 

“I see, well even the best of friends have to fight sometimes. But, I like the sight of you two getting along.” Erza praised and I laughed at Gray and Natsu’s faces since they just looked stiff as a board. 

“Natsu, Gray, Idina I have a favor to ask. I heard a troubling story after I had finished my last job. Honestly speaking, this is something for the master to decide, but I wanted to settle it quickly so I made the decision myself. I want the three of you to lend me your magical abilities. Will you all come with me?” Well this was something new, I had worked with Erza in the past of course, we were really close friends but she had never openly asked Natsu and Gray for help. 

“Of course I’ll go with you Erza, we haven’t worked together in a really long time. I sort of missed working as a team since my last job was long and boring as hell.  Count me in!!” I said happily and the wizard in armor nodded her head at me. 

“We’re leaving tomorrow morning and I expect to see all of you there if you are on my side.” I smiled at the young woman who had taught me about having strength and being myself around people. Most people never saw the kind side of her that I was used to seeing since we had worked together. 

“But, what do you need us for Erza? Idina just got back from a job and should be spending time with Romeo.” Natsu protested and I could see the trace of irritation that was going across Erza’s features. 

“I’ll explain to you all tomorrow and I apologize for the short notice. She will have plenty of time to spend with her family once we get back home.” I nodded my head in agreement with the mage who was only a year and a couple of weeks older than I was. 

“We’ll both be there Erza, but this had better be good.” I laughed at Gray as I saw his smile at me and he gave me a brofist. 

“Looks like the two of us are working together again, been a couple of years since you’ve been able to work with other people.” Gray commented and I nodded my head at him seeing Levy standing up and coming towards us. 

“Can I borrow my best friend for a lunch date?” I nodded my head linking arms with my best friend as we exited the Fairy Tail guild.    
“I’m going to wait for you to start talking about how incredible Laxus treats you just know that I’ll be shipping you two in the back of my mind.” I laughed at my best girlfriend.    
“Alright woman so what do you want to know?” I asked in return and laughed when I heard her response. 

“EVERYTHING!!” I covered my ears at the yell as everybody started to stare at us that was passing by. 

“Okay, Levs you’re going to have mellow the hell out though people are starting to stare at me.” I objected and I laughed at my best friend when she pouted at me. 

“What does it feel like to be in a relationship?” She asked me and I thought about it for a moment. 

“It depends on the person that you’re seeing at the time. With Laxus, I feel this bolt of electricity when he touches my hand I feel it shooting down my spine. He’s gentle and soft with me, like he could break me at a moments notice. His soft smiles even though they are rare that others see them it seems that I see them a good majority of the time. If you’re dating a harsh and brash person then you’re usually looked at with this look of softness and they will treat you with the same softness. That was my biggest fear was that I wouldn’t be treated well if I had ever dated him. It’s kind of a different feeling, you have to put your trust in someone else’s hands and you have to allow them to see the real you. Luckily me and Laxus have been friends forever practically even though he acted out and differently. It’ll most likely feel different for every person depending on who it is that you’re seeing at that particular time. He makes me feel like I could conquer the entire world and like I could fly at the same time. It feels powerful to be looked at like you’ve hung somebody’s moon and stars.” I explained to my best friend and she looked at me happily with a light sparkle in her eyes. 

“That sounds like something out of a romance novel!! You’re so lucky Idina that he loves you more than life itself.” Levy said happily and I smiled at my best friend knowing that she was right.    
“I guess it does sound like a romance novel doesn’t it? I’m turning into a huge sap!!” I ran a hand through my light blonde curls and I felt the tips of them since I did at least color the tips of my hair, they were a light blue. 

“That’s not a bad thing though if you’re asking me Idina, I think it’s quite a good look for you. You’re my best girlfriend and I’ll always support your decisions no matter what they might be. You shouldn’t worry about whether or not they please me or what I’ll think of you when I find that out. I wouldn’t have judged you for having feelings for Laxus instead of Gray. I would have been worried for sure, but I’m almost worried about you since you keep to yourself so much. You should feel free to talk to me about everything instead of just keeping it all to yourself upstairs. You can rely on me, I’m your best friend Idina.” Levy encouraged and I looked down at my feet slightly embarrassed that I thought even for a moment that she would leave me. 

“I know that I can, it’s just my brain sometimes gets ahead of me and goes off and does it’s own thing. I can’t help the stuff that my brain thinks. It just happens.” I tried to sum up the way that my brain thought and how the process went when Levy looked at me her brown eyes full of concern. 

“I know you can’t help it, but at the very least lean on me from time to time? Like when were you going to tell me that you were taking the Conbolt last name?” She had me there, I wasn’t going to tell her about that. 

“I was going to keep that as a surprise for most people aside from my dad and my brother. With Laxus my brain to mouth filter is even worse and it’s so humiliating since I want to control my words but I just can’t and everything comes out at once. Just a fair warning, since you have the same problem it’s bound to happen to you as well Levs.” I warned my best friend and she just laughed at me with a bright smile that I could easily read. 

“If that’s the case then I’m actually really excited to fall in love!! It sounds like an incredible feeling and I’m so jealous that you actually beat me to it and you fell in love before I did.” Levy bumped my hip with her’s as I laughed at my best friend trying to stay on the side of the road that we were on. 

“It’s a complicated feeling but it does feel really good. Especially once you get past the whole getting to know you phase and you fully accept the feeling. We’re not dating but I’m probably going to crack by the end of the week or by tomorrow morning if he ends up walking with me to the train station. He usually always did that even if I wasn’t working with him on that specific job.” I mentioned to Levy as she smiled at me brightly like she was reading my thoughts almost. 

“Is that when he gave you the lightning bolt?” I nodded my head fingering the tip of it as I so often did when I was nervous. 

“That’s right, it was on the train to Sokovia. He told me that my accent was back by the way and I don’t really know how to feel about that.” I said as I tried to cover up my thick accent that I was still partially embarrassed by. 

“Yeah it is back, but it’s really cute and kind of adorable. I remember when you used to trip over words because they were too long for accent to fit around.” I laughed at the memory of a ten year old me struggling to learn English since I had never been around people who spoke it before. 

“I was ten and rarely anybody speaks English over in that area since they are shut off from the rest of the world. I hadn’t really ever needed to learn it before I became a Fairy Tail wizard so there was really no point in doing it.” I reminded Levy and she just continued to poke fun at my thick accent. 

“I still say that you trip over supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” I rolled my eyes at the word that was from one of my favorite books as a child Mary Poppins. 

“Oh please, anybody would find themselves tripping over that word. It’s inevitable and need I remind you about how you couldn’t say some words in my own language?” I shot back at her and she just laughed at me as I tried to say the word again to final success. 

“Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, there happy?” Levy cheered for joy at me finally getting the silly made up word correct and I laughed at her goofiness. 

“You finally got it!! After almost eight years she finally said it right without tripping over her original accent.” I stuck my tongue out at my best friend with a light huff at the fact that she was being so rude to me right now. 

“Need I remind you how you couldn’t say it either until you turned eleven since your tiny mouth couldn’t fit around the word.” She nudged my shoulder harshly and I found myself laughing at her face as she pouted. 

“I had a speech impediment so in that regard that’s my excuse…” She muttered and I laughed at her again. 

“And I had a thick accent that is for the most part back. What’s your point here?” I nudged her hip with my own as she started to smile at me again. 

“I guess I didn’t really have one so this conversation was virtually pointless. Did you give Laxus the necklace?” She asked me changing the topic with a mischievous smirk. 

“How did you know that I gave that to him?” I asked her in return as she rolled her chocolate brown eyes at me. 

“Because I saw the way that he was looking at you and I figured that you gave it to him since you are a naturally impatient person.” I as reminded and I groaned as we walked through the door at the cafe. There looked to be a small line so I leaned up against the wood while Levy went to put her name on the list. I just kind of got lost 

in my own head for a little bit and got out my notebook so that I could start writing down song lyrics that I would sing for the Fantasia Festival in a couple of months.

_ Home is where I want to be pick me up and turn me round. I feel numb, born with a weak heart I guess that this must be the place. The less we say about it the better  make it up as we go along feet on the ground, head in the sky it’s okay, I know nothing’s wrong, nothing. Hi-yeah I got plenty of time, hi-yeah you got light in your eyes and you’re standing here beside me I love the passage of time. Never for money, always for love cover up and say goodnight. Home is where I want to be but I guess I’m already there. I come home, she lifted up her wings I guess that this must be the place. I can’t tell one from the other, did I find you or you find me? There was a time before we were born if someone asks this is where I’ll be. Hi-yeah we drift in and out, hi-yeah sing into my mouth out of all those kinds of people you got a face with a view. I’m just an animal looking for a home share me some space for a minute or two and you’ll love me ‘til my heart stops love me ‘til I’m dead. Eyes that light up, looking through you, cover up the blank spots hit me on the head ahoo, ahoo, ahoo….  _

“What are you writing? The waiter said that it’s about a twenty minute wait you good?” I nodded my head slightly embarrassed at being caught red handed with a notebook and writing a really embarrassing love song. 

“I might not even use this so I don’t know if I should even show it to you…” I trailed off as I tried to wrack my brain for something that would both work with being a Fairy Tail wizard and being in love since this would be for the Fantasia Festival. 

“Well what are you trying to write? I would talk to River about song lyrics. She’s new and she’s really good friends with Loke from what I’ve noticed anyways. He might actually be serious about this one.” I smiled at the thought of the resident womanizer finally settling down with a nice enough girl. 

“That would actually be quite nice to see him settling down with a girl. It wouldn’t surprise me if Laxus was jealous of him too. It seems that he thought I would get together with every one of my guy friends except for him, even Natsu.” I gagged and Levy just laughed at me. 

“That’s a little bit odd but that makes sense to me at the same time. He only wanted to make you happy and when he thought that wasn’t possible any more he lost his temper.” Levy noted and I smiled over at my best friend for caring so much about my own love life when I opened my notebook and showed the song that I had written. I saw Levy scan every sentence and I saw the tears that had started to gather in the corners of her eyes when she threw her arms around my neck in a tight hug. 

“This is so beautiful!! You’re really amazing at writing, I don’t think that it would really work with the Fantasia theme but it’s not a bad start.” Levy encouraged and I smiled at my best friend easily trusting her opinions when I had a better idea.    
“I want to combine our goal of changing the world and my own feelings of longing and love not just for Laxus but for all of my family members…” That was the Fairy Tail main goal, changing the world for the better one job at a time. 

“That’s really challenging you know that right? Not just writing about feelings and emotions for one person but for the entire guild. If you somehow pull it off than it might just become the new Fairy Tail theme song.” I smiled at my best friend taking out a fresh notebook page again glad that I was out with Levy where I didn’t need to make conversation and she didn’t force me to talk about anything. 

_ I want to change the world, pierce through the winds I’m not afraid of anything, now with the courage and the fragments of the smile that I still hold. Change my mind, without losing my passion, if I reach out my hand to the beating future I’m sure to shine it’s wonderland. Beyond the grey skies something was left behind you wandered about and kept searching about. Your heart trembled the morning of the night you could not see unable to believe anything with covered ears… When I met you I found where I’d truly belonged with the casual kindness that’s here we awaken. I want to change the world I won’t lose my way again, with you, if we can shape the future we can fly anywhere. Change my mind without losing my passion I spread my wings to an unknown new day I’m sure they will unfurl it’s wonderland. We continue to swim in the same world until the day we reach each others dreams. We carry around the same uneasiness, and we hold each other up the moment we stop we’ll be at the place we’ve looked for. I want to change the world without letting go of my hand, accept that I’m watching over you and I’m sure you can do anything. Change my mind, I won’t let you do this alone, we’re all here we’ll break through whatever is there it’s wonderland. I want to change the world, pierce through the winds I’m not afraid of anything, now with the courage and the fragments of the smile that I still hold. Change my mind, without losing my passion, if I reach out my hand to the beating future I’m sure to shine it’s wonderland.  _ I flipped my notebook over to Levy so that she could give a routine inspection since she was the master of reading words. She would also be honest with me if she thought that it was bad and that was one of my favorite things about her. 

“That’s really beautiful, it’s perfect. You combined both your love for Laxus and the guild into one song. I’m proud of you.” Levy praised and I blushed looking down at my sneakers when I heard the waiter call out Levy’s last name and I put my notebook into my bag.    
“Sorry for the wait ladies, we really need to upgrade this place.” The main hostess told us and I smiled at her. 

“It’s fine, we usually don’t come around lunchtime. It’s was bad timing.” I replied and I sat down across the booth from my best girlfriend. 

“Did you figure out your feelings for Laxus yet?” Levy asked me and I nodded my head. 

“I still have to make him work for it, I don’t want it to be easy for him. Our relationship won’t be easy so this will kind of be like our first test.” I told Levy and she looked like she understood what I was talking about.    
“That makes perfect sense to me, I think I would do the same thing if I was in your position. If I ever meet the right guy then I’ll make sure that he knows he has to work for my affections. It’s not playing hard to get, we’re just not damsels in distress.” I laughed at my best friend for being so over exaggerated about some of the stuff that’s in the romance novels that she’s had me read. 

“I would be surprised if I ever meet a wizard female who does beg for a man to help them. If we want help we’ll usually get ourselves out of that jam or at least try to. Then again I’ve yet to meet a Bella Swan in our day and age.” I pulled the name out of my brain since Levy also got sucked into the tween vampire romp around the same time that every other teenage girl was reading it.    
“I WAS TWELVE!!” Everyone turned to Levy as I ducked my head and yanked my best friend into her seat. 

“Geez, are you trying to embarrass me or what man?” I asked Levy once everyone had gone back to their regular conversations thankfully. 

“You’re the one who had to bring up the book that you promised you would never mention again.” Levy pouted and I smiled at her gently kicking her sandle with my sneaker. 

“I wasn’t expecting you to react like that though!! You can be such a child sometimes.” I rolled my eyes at the blue haired mage as the waiter came to take our drink orders.    
“I’ll take an iced coffee please.” Levy said to the waiter with a happy smile and I took the best option in my case. 

“Water with a lemon please.” I told him and he nodded his head as I looked through the menu even though we had been here dozens of times over the years. 

“You don’t have to drink so much water, you could’ve gotten a lemonade.” Levy remarked and I rolled my eyes at my best friend and her hatred for water. 

“You need to drink more water Levs, it won’t kill you. Plus with lemon it makes it taste better.” I remarked and she just laughed at me lightly while playing with a strand of her hair that was getting in her face. 

“Water is for wimps, I’m all about the sugar stuff!! Can I ask you something else though?” I nodded my head as our drinks got here and I squeezed my lemon into my water and took a deep sip. 

“Did you ever think that you would fall in love with Laxus?” The question somewhat surprised me but I was truthful and I nodded my head shyly blushing brightly. 

“Umm… I guess not really. I mean like I mentioned I fell in love with him long before I did Gray and that was only the last year. That should probably prove how serious that fling was.” I gagged and Levy laughed brightly at me as I tried to make up my mind on what I wanted to order. 

“It wasn’t a fling, I could tell that your feelings for your best friend were true. Maybe not as true as you have right now for Laxus since you two are different people. I don’t think that you and Gray would have lasted together for very long but you and Laxus are like relationship goals right there. I know that when I get a boyfriend it’ll be a very teasing relationship since he’ll probably be way taller than me.” Levy had always been really self conscious about her height but it was always something that I just loved about her. The fact that I could lift her up and carry her on my shoulders during a job while skating was just something that I love doing. 

“Your height is adorable Levs and it’s not that humiliating. I can think of things that are way more humiliating about a person and that’s not one of them. Need I mention my clumsiness, now that’s a humiliating character trait right there.” I raised my eyebrow at her daring her to counteract me in any way that she deemed possible. 

“That is adorable!!” I laughed at Levy as the waiter came back and I finally had made my decision. 

“I’m going to have the chicken burger with french fries please. But, can I substitute the ketchup with ranch please?” I asked and the man nodded his head while Levy was still making up her mind. 

“I’ll have the wings basket please with fries.” I smiled at my old friend as the waiter went off to do his job. 

“What is it with you and ketchup anyways?” Levy asked me her hands folded and I rolled my eyes at the fact that we were actually having this conversation right now again. 

“I just hate the texture even though I love tomatoes I just can’t stand the texture of ketchup for some reason. It just leaves this weird aftertaste in my mouth and I almost never eat it. Ranch and fries however…” I made the okay sound with my fingers and Levy just smiled over at me. 

“I will respectfully disagree, I love fries ketchup. To each his own though so we’ll agree to disagree. Do you want anything that you can think of for your birthday?” Levy asked me and I shrugged my shoulders indifferently not really caring what she bought for me. 

“It doesn’t really matter what you buy for me Levy. Just you being in my life for the moment, that’s enough for a girl like me. I’m a simple person and all I really want is my friends and family healthy and happy.” Levy looked at me slightly betrayed by the fact that I didn’t want anything for my birthday. 

“But you’re going to be eighteen, this isn’t just like any other year where you can pull that kind of thing. If you were to have anything in the entire world what would it be?” Levy asked me taking a sip from her beverage and I smiled when I thought about it for a moment. 

“A cat, I want a kitten. Not just for me but for Romeo as well so he can have something to keep him company while I’m away for a job.” I laughed at my thoughts getting a kitten would probably be the best idea since I love animals more than anything. 

“Does Laxus already know about that then?” I nodded my head because he had technically known that for years.    
“Well than, he’ll probably buy you that. Erza will go to town with all the different kinds of cake that will be there and Master will have his yearly present for you. I love your birthday because everybody just seems to be in a good mood. We don’t really have full on parties since there is so many members now and we’d end up having a party almost every day.” I laughed at my best friend knowing that she was right about the whole too many members.    
“I don’t know why he still makes such a big deal out of mine. I love it and I somewhat love the attention even if it is a little bit much and it kind of gives me a headache. This will definitely be a huge deal though because it’s my eighteenth birthday so sorcerer weekly will most definitely be there.” My best friend knew how I felt about the sorcerer weekly magazine and that I hated it because they always blew everything out of proportion. 

“I think that it’s sweet since a lot of young people love that magazine and you certainly get recognized a lot more now that you’re older. I love it because than the youth know that they can become wizards too.” Levy reminded me and I smiled happily at my best friend since she was technically right. 

“You’re right as usual Levy, I should just mellow out. I’m too tense a lot of the time at least that’s what I think about myself. I mean I could already be with Laxus if I just loosened up and took some chances.” I sighed taking another big drink from my water and I saw Levy look at me worriedly about what I was saying about myself. 

“I don’t think that you’re too tense, you just think too much. You also need to stop worrying so much about what other people think. You’re you and you’re amazing Idina Conbolt. If you really want my advice, just go for it once you feel the time is right. Don’t wait too long because Laxus will get bored of this whole will they won’t they game. Anybody would be upset if you just dragged them around them around like that.” I laughed at my best friend as the food showed up and I called taxes on one of her wings and she took a bite from half of my sandwich and I gagged. 

“That’s disgusting!! I would never do that to you Levs, at least with your wings you don’t get contamination.” I joked and took a bite from my half that she hadn’t eaten and Levy just rolled her chocolate brown eyes at me. 

“Just eat it you damn germaphobe, it’s contaminated or anything.” I stuck my tongue out at my best friend and continued to eat my sandwich. 

“All I’m saying is that you shouldn’t have done that.” I shot back at her and I saw her just ignore me again as she usually. I dunked my fry into my ranch once my sandwich was finished and happily ate it with a bright smile. 

“You want to talk about disgusting I think I’m looking at it right now.” I laughed at my best friend sarcastically. 

“It’s not disgusting, here try it.” I offered my dipping sauce to my best friend as she hesitantly dipped her fry into my ranch dressing. 

“Man, that is good!!” I rolled my eyes at her for giving me hell all these years when this was literally the best thing thing in the entire world. 

“Would you two like a dessert?” The waiter asked us a few minutes later and I nodded my head knowing that the strawberry sundae was one of the best things in the entire world. 

“Yes please, I’d like the strawberry sundae but can I have it to go please?” I asked and the waiter nodded his head taking Levy’s plate and my own. 

“Are you going to share that with your boyfriend?” Levy teased with a wink and I blushed putting blue raspberry gum into my mouth. 

“That’s none of your damn business Levs, who’s taking the check?” I asked with a blush that was high on my cheeks and nearly impossible to ignore. 

“Nice try, changing the subject even though it’s written all over your face that you’re embarrassed. I’m not through with you though, we should have a sleepover once you get back from your job with Erza. That woman honestly scares the living daylights out of me.” I laughed at Levy as the waiter came back with delicious looking sundae that also came with two spoons. I remembered that Laxus and I used to come to this little cafe to split this sundae when we were children together after long days of training together. It was one of my favorite memories of working with him since we both had the most intense sweet tooth ever. 

“I’ll take the check this time but when you come back it’ll be your turn.” Levy explained to me and I nodded my head. 

“You can go ahead without me, I think I’ll wander around the shops for a little while.” I nodded my head as I took the bag that was cold back to Fairy Tail where I would share the giant sundae with my future boyfriend. I had a bright smile on my face as I walked down the streets of Magnolia and looked at all the children that were playing games together as I opened the guild hall doors seeing Laxus and Erza surprisingly getting along. 

“Welcome back Idina!!” Mira smiled at me and I returned the smile happily with a small smile. 

“Thanks Mira, I think I’ll just head upstairs.” I took the stairs back up as i smiled at the female wizard who was for once relaxing. 

“It feels like I haven’t seen you in forever Idina.” Erza said softly and I smiled at my old friend.    
“It has been a long time since we’ve been able to a job together. Even though I’m happy to be back after a year I miss traveling with a group. Doing jobs alone while efficient it’s rather lonely.” I mentioned to the swordswoman who just smiled back at me noticing my necklace. 

“That’s very beautiful, I’m glad that you two are happy.” Erza encouraged and I blushed heavily not used to being put on the spot like that.    
“What’s in the bag snowflake?” Laxus asked me and I smiled faintly remembering that I had the sundae in my bag. 

“Remember when we were kids and we went to that little cafe to get sundae’s after long days of practicing and missions? I got the strawberry one.” I told him and he smiled brightly back at me. I got my dessert out of the bag luckily it was still cold and it hadn’t melted yet.    
“Man do I love you…” I laughed at Laxus the blush high on my cheeks even though we weren’t even dating yet. 

“I’m still here you know…” Erza teased and I laughed at my best friend taking my own spoon to get some of the ice cream. 

“I know that, how was your job?” I asked the red haired mage and she nodded her head at me. 

“It was the usual but it was still pretty good, the people were nice. How was Sokovia?” I frowned slightly at the question taking a strawberry with the ice cream and accidently clicking Laxus’s spoon. 

“It was fine, honestly I wish I had picked anywhere else to go and take a job. I had to see my parents to see if one of their new children was a monster.” Laxus interrupted me his eyebrows creasing together. 

“Wait a minute snowflake, so you’re telling me that the two people who hated you had even more children even though you’re perfect? Where’s the logic in that?” I laughed at Laxus shaking my head taking another sliver of strawberry. 

“I have no idea but all I know is that it sucked. I hate them, I hate them so much. They are the worst people in the entire world to me. I mean it’s not enough to know that they never once in the seven years that I lived with them they never once told me that they loved me. My own parents didn’t even love me and I know that your dad sucks too Laxus but my parents should die in a fire.” I looked down at my sneakers as Laxus put an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side. I lost myself in the warmth and softness that he was giving me. 

“Both of you have lost and came out stronger. I wouldn’t argue that your parents were valid in their decisions but they did it for a reason, to try to make you stronger.” Erza reminded and I felt that she was right deep in my heart. She had this ora about her that dared you to debate a topic with her. 

“I agree redhot, we all have suffered in some ways, some just more than others.” I laughed at Laxus and I saw Erza shake her head at my partner. 

“All joking aside, thank you Erza, it means a lot to me that you continue to encourage me and make me feel better.” I thanked my old friend and she just shook her head at me. 

“It’s no big deal really, you’re a talented young lady and it’s shocking that you’re going to be eighteen in a few weeks.” I laughed at my old friend taking another spoonful of the ice cream that just melted into my mouth. 

“I know, I still remember her first day when she was embarrassed when I called her beautiful.” I blushed flaming red and Erza just laughed at me brightly seeing my reaction to my partner’s compliment.

“You’d think that she’d never been complimented before that day. You were rather adorable, kind of like in a lost puppy sense.” Laxus laughed slightly at Erza as I took another bite of ice cream still blushing. 

“I wasn’t used to seeing so many people around me and I most definitely had never been called beautiful before or my magic. I’m sometimes still not used to having all these people around me. It’s like I’ll look at my life and think do I really deserve this? Being happy, having friends, getting a boyfriend?” I asked my two close friends and Laxus just shook his head at me. 

“You deserve all of that and more snowflake, don’t think so badly about yourself. I think that you deserve to be happy with whoever you want to be with.” You, I want to be with you. More than I’ve ever wanted anything in my entire life. It’s insane how much I want to just be with you and forget about the rest of the world in the meantime. 

“And I didn’t need to know that.” Erza joked and I looked at myself in horror wanting to just vanish into nothingness putting my hands over my ears as my brain only told me one thing that I had messed up with the best thing that had ever happened to me. I was sure that Laxus would want to leave me now but when I tried to stand up on obviously shaky legs something pulled me back down. It was Laxus. His arms wrapped around me tightly and he was spoonfeeding me ice cream to try and calm me down which was sort of working. He was so soft and gentle with me that it made me nearly whimper with happiness. 

“You’re alright snowflake, I’ve got you, I’m not going away that easily. I love you so much. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.” Laxus praised and I started to come back still holding my boyfriend like a lifeline. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” I apologized profusely and Laxus just shushed me pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead. 

“Don’t apologize Idina, you’re perfectly fine. I’m not mad at you, in fact I’m elated that you want to be with me because that’s exactly what I want from you. You’re the best thing that ever fell into my life with a smile eventually. Your amazing and your magic can kick my ass when you really want it to. Your personality is one of the most adorable things about you, I love your shy smiles, your stutters, your sneakers and how you can’t walk in high heels without falling flat on your face.” I laughed at the memory which is probably what he was going for. 

“T-That was four y-years ago, how do you even remember that?” I asked him with my voice trembling over the sensory overload that I had. 

“Of course I remember that, you were so adorable with your dress and I had to catch you or you would have fallen directly onto your face. Are you okay now?” I nodded my head softly and felt my eyes start to droop. 

“Do you want me to take you home?” Laxus asked me and I looked down at my feet thankful that nobody downstairs had seen that as I nodded my head. 

“Would you mind? It’s a little bit loud in here. Sorry for causing you so much trouble.” I apologized but my partner just shook his head at me standing up and bending over. 

“Hop on, haven’t done this in a while.” I laughed at my partner before doing as he said as I started to fall asleep on his shoulder and I felt a gentle kiss on my forehead when I finally got back home to the comfort of my own bed. I felt blankets being wrapped around me and Richard being moved into my arms.    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all!! It's been awhile since I've updated a chapter on this story and it's one of my favorites. It's just hard because I keep getting these ideas that I eventually end up dropping. I love working with Laxus and Levy and chapter three should be up in the coming weeks, thank you for reading.


	3. Chapter three

I didn’t wake up until I heard the front door close later on that night 1after the moon had already been out for a couple of hours since it was overhead and I realized that Laxus had carried me all the way home but I had actually fallen asleep on his back. Thankfully he took my keys and was able to get inside the house since both my brother and my dad were still at the guild hall. I looked around for where my stuffed polar bear had gotten but it was still in my arms somehow after a night of sleeping. I snuggled deeper into my bed noticing the lack of light coming from the outside world and saw that it was probably late at night and I was the only one awake. I looked at the clock that was next to my bed and squinted trying to read it with my sleep addled brain but it wasn’t really working out so great for me. Knowing that it was Erza I was meeting at the train station I knew that I would have to be there earlier or she would not be happy with me. I was finally able to read the clock and noticed that it was four thirty in the morning and sighed trying to just go back to sleep despite having nearly twelve hours of sleep. It just wasn’t working though since now I was practically starving so I woke up and got up out of bed to tiptoe down the stairs and try not to wake anybody up. I saw my baby brother was still snoring in his bedroom and I smiled softly mostly to myself. I opened the fridge seeing fruit salad that was still left over from yesterday so I decided that I would make some of the eggs with the bread that we had in there as well. I decided that my best bet would be for me to make a scrambled egg sandwich. I finished my sandwich and went back upstairs to start packing my things into a bag that I would take with me on the train as well as Richard since he’s always done a great job at keeping my nightmares away. I heard a knocking on my window that startled the hell out of me so I whirled around trying to catch my breath and glare at whoever was on the other side. I unlocked my window seeing that it was actually Laxus who had approached my window.    


“Laxus?! You scared the crap out of me you jerk.” I whisper yelled at my partner and he just laughed at me. 

“Sorry about that snowflake, just wanted to make sure that you were okay after your sensory overload yesterday. When you didn’t wake up after a few hours I got worried but your dad assured me that he would watch over you, I guess he fell asleep too?” I nodded my head remembering seeing my dad on the couch fast asleep and not in his bedroom. 

“He did actually, sorry for worrying you. I haven’t a clue as to what happened to me yesterday, I haven’t had a sensory overload in a really long time. Thank you by the way, for carrying me home. I hope that you didn’t get too many funny looks for doing so?” Laxus laughed at me openly and I could tell that he was happy that I was alright after nearly twelve hours of sleeping. 

“I actually did get some rather glaring looks from people, but you know what I say get glared at glare back just freaks them out even more.” I laughed at my best friend and I looked down still realizing that I was in my pajamas. I blushed brightly knowing that I had woken up sometime earlier and changed into pajamas. 

“You did actually, you still seemed rather out of it then though.” I blushed even more at the thought of my brain to mouth filter yet again getting me in trouble. 

“Sorry that you have to put up with my stupid brain to mouth filter.” I apologized slightly muttering and he lifted my chin up from where I was looking down at my feet.    


“Don’t you dare apologize for something that is not your fault. In fact, never apologize for something that is out of your control around me or anybody for that matter.” Laxus assured me with a small smile that I knew was directed towards me and me alone and the fact alone made butterflies go swarming throughout my body. He always seemed to be doing things like that with me and it always made me smile. 

“I’ll try not to, it’s in my nature to be apologetic if I’m a bother though. It will be easier maybe for me to talk to other people if I apologized a lot less.” I said to my previous partner as he smiled at me and I knew that this would be my happiness for the rest of my days just talking with Laxus.    


“Am I selfish Laxus? For wanting to spend the rest of my days not helping anybody just being with you?” I asked him knowing that he would answer me honestly and I saw my best friend sit down on the concrete next to my window but he was still tall enough that his face was against my windowsill. 

“I don’t think that’s selfish at all, you’re one of the most selfless people that I’ve ever met in my entire life. I find you to be beautiful and kind, courageous to a fault and one of the sweetest girls that I have ever met in my entire life. I think that in my unprofessional opinion that you can deal with being selfish some of the time. Maybe not all the time but definitely sometimes. You’ve always fought like hell for what’s right and I find that to be a beautiful thing. Sometimes it’s not even a second thought, you hear a cry for help and even if you don’t know the person your already rushing in to save their asses from danger. It’s one of those qualities that I grew to love about you as you got older. The fact that you can help anybody and that even if you can sense the evilness in somebody you still give them the benefit of the doubt until they personally betray you.” As Laxus gave me this list of inductive and deductive reasoning as to why I wasn’t selfish I felt myself becoming even more drawn to the boy from my childhood.    


“Thank you Laxus, thanks for never giving up on me or stopping loving me.” I thanked my best friend and I could see the small smile on my best friends face. 

“Here’s the thing that you’ll come to learn about love snowflake it doesn’t just stop on a whim. Once you’re in love, it’s something that lasts forever and you’ll constantly want what’s best for the person. It’s why I pushed you away, I was too far gone and I wanted to convince myself that I wasn’t good enough for you which I’m not. I’m a jealous, possessive and overprotective bastard who is probably going to have to bribe you to take me with you on every mission now just to make sure that you’re okay at the end of it all.” Laxus looked up at me with his gray blue eyes and I so easily sunk into them while keeping my gaze with my ice blue one’s easily finding myself getting lost in them and him getting lost in mine. 

“Fuck you’re beautiful, the most beautiful thing that I’ve ever seen…” Laxus sighed out and I blushed up to my ears while he just laughed boomingly and openly at me. 

“And you’re great at getting flustered you asshole.” I said with no heat behind my words just a small smile and I could tell that he shared the sentiment when he saw me cuddled next to Richard my giant stuffed polar bear. 

“I remember when that stuffed animal was bigger than you were. Seems like so long ago, I saw it in a toy store window when you were thirteen and I just knew that I had to buy it for you. You looked so happy and I wanted to stay there in that moment forever.” Laxus told me and I blushed slightly leaning up against my window and up at the night sky. 

“Do you remember when we would sit on the top of the Fairy Tail roof when we were kids?” I asked my best friend remembering when we were kids and he would come and get me from my windowsill and take me to the rooftop of the Fairy Tail building where we would just sit there and chew gum and laugh about things. 

“Of course I remember when we would do that, Gramps would always let me into the guildhall and we would climb up all those stairs so that we could sit together. You looked so beautiful under the pure moonlight and I wanted to be yours so that I could maybe just get a piece of that personality for myself.” Laxus praised and I knew that he was the most amazing person in my life but I had to keep my promise to myself and give it the two weeks. 

“You have a bright personality too you know? It’s blinding almost but at the same time I was always intrigued by it, it’s one of the reasons why I never gave up on you. I always thought back to who you were as a kid and that side of you is beautiful. Everything about you is different from everyone else in my life Laxus. You’re not wholly good and that’s not a bad thing that you have those gruff and tough edges it’s refreshing that you’ve always lived by your own rules and not the ones that others have started before you.” I reminded my best friend and I saw his smile as he took my hand and gently pulled me out of my window and onto his lap. I blushed lightly and looked up at him. 

“Why did you do that? I’m out here in my pajamas, that’s a little humiliating.” I laughed at him and he rested his forehead against mine easily while I hugged him back.    


“Couldn’t have you at that far of a distance anymore after you said that. I don’t care that you’re out here in your pajamas, in fact they’re cute. Did you get them designed yourself?” He asked me and I nodded my head looking down at my favorite pajamas that had snowflakes all over them.    


“I did, I made them myself actually. They’re a little bit cold to the touch but I’m always cold so it doesn’t really bother me. It might bother you so you might want to let me go.” I protested and Laxus just shook his head at me engulfing me in even more heat and warmth. 

"You’re not too cold, I mean yeah you’re a little bit chilly but it’s fine with me. I just want to make you warmer and you are incredibly sweet looking out for me and my health.” My head was up underneath his chin and I melted into his embrace easily and I felt more comforted than ever in my life.    


“I am more comfortable than I have been in my entire life, I think that I’m falling hard and fast for you Laxus.” I said to him honestly and I heard his laughter that came from his belly. 

“I love you already more than anything Idina, I’m just honored that you’re seeing you’re starting to see me in that way.” Laxus kissed my forehead and I shrank into his embrace gently. 

“It’s more like finally seeing what was right in front of my face all along and realizing that I wanted that so bad. Why did I make the two weeks rule a thing again?” I asked my partner and he rested his chin on my head tightening his arms around me. 

“Couldn’t tell you to be honest snowflake, that was your rule. If I had my way I would have kissed you the instant I saw that you were still wearing the necklace that I created for you. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to do something so badly in all my life.” I laughed at Laxus knowing that was probably exactly what he was thinking since one of the best things about Laxus was that he was a lot of the time brutally honest with me. 

“Why didn’t you? I probably wouldn’t have been that surprised and I had already made up my mind that I eventually wanted to be with you.” I asked him and he kissed my forehead gently tangling my legs with his as I was still perched on his lap. 

“I didn’t want to embarrass you or have your friends get the wrong idea. I’m willing to wait for you Idina, you’ll be worth the wait in the end. As long as I get to have you and you get to have me for all intents and purposes than I won’t give a rats ass about when we get together. I’ll get to kiss you, hold your hand and cuddle with you whenever I want to and that’s more than enough for me.” I blushed crimson almost and he thought that was probably the funniest thing ever since he could feel my skin heat up all the way down my arms. 

“Oh, I’m sure that you found that absolutely hilarious Laxus Dreyar, let’s all fluster the awkward girl.” I teased and he smiled happily at me and rested my forehead against his so that I had to look him in the eyes. 

“You’re my awkward nerdy girl, always been mine and always will be.” I laughed at Laxus’s jealousy streak but found myself blushing again because he was simply being honest. 

“You don’t know that I’ll always be yours Laxus… someday down the line you might just sick and tired of me…” I mentioned and Laxus only drew me  closer to him cuddling me full on in the middle of the street.    


“That will never happen snowflake, not if I can help it. I’ve been in love with you since we were nothing but young kids even if you were so much younger than me. We have an age gap of four years Idina, even though I couldn’t care less about it since my own parents had a gap of eight years. All I know is that you are what most of the time keeps me up and running everyday is the thought that I get to see your beautiful face and maybe hear you laugh at me. I’ve done some horrible things to other people but not to you never to my precious snowflake that I love more than anything.” He praised and I couldn’t help but listen to him since was so earnest that it made me fall even deeper down the rabbit hole for him. 

“I’m starting to kind of see that you love me if that means anything. It’s hard for me to believe that you see me in that way because I see myself as this plain and ordinary person.” I blushed a bright pink and he looked down at me with a serious expression on his face.    


“That isn’t true and you are the furthest thing from ordinary you have to know that. You’re the most special part of my life even if sometimes I lash out at other people I never meant to do it with you. I always wanted to just hug you close until you eventually fell in love with me as selfish as that sounds. I wanted for you to forget all about Gray’s stupid ass and just be with me instead like I was telling you earlier I’m a possessive bastard when you’re really getting down to it.” I smiled at my best friend kissing his cheek gently and watching as the surprise lit up his face.    


“You are possessive but you know what Laxus? I wouldn’t have you any other way you’re the most important person in my life most of the time and the person that I do anything and everything for. I do it to see you smile at me and to praise my talents in the magic making world. You spoke to me on such a personal level that you were so easy to get to know inside and out and I related to you. When you told me how good of a wizard I was I believed you so much more. I have a hard time finding my talents good unless you’re the one telling me since I know that you mean what you say and you’ve never bullshitted me before.” He kissed me gently on the forehead pulling mea somehow even tighter towards him.    


“ You are perfect for me snow that’s why I always knew that I wanted to be with even when I was being a stubborn ass who didn’t want to let you go away without a fight. I wanted to challenge Gray all those years ago but then I realized that wouldn’t have done anything and instead went for the object of my affections you. I thought that once I had gotten away I could meet another ice magic wizard and settle for a person who would’ve always been second best but that never happened. Not when you helped me up off the ground and I looked at you with the tears in your eyes and I wanted to pull you close just like I am now and kiss you like my life depended on it.” I absolutely melted at the terminology that he was using turning into a giant flustered puddle and only hearing his loud booming laughter when he looked down at me. I knew that I had to do the one thing that I had been wanting to do all day. I closed the distance that always seemed to be there but I never wanted and kissed him gently at first. I was almost terrified when he didn’t kiss me back that I had overstepped some kind of invisible boundary but then I felt him gently cradle the back of my head in his hands and kiss me back. You know that feeling of kissing the right person and they say that you can feel metaphorical fireworks going off? That was like this but so much better than what I was expecting. Instead of fireworks it was like feeling little zings of his magical lightning bolts hitting me with all this pent up emotion that I just sunk into sighing deeply and finally allowing him to take the lead. I trusted him with everything that I had even loved him. I could admit it to myself now that I was finally knowing what kissing him felt like it was like the final nail in the coffin that was my love for the boy who I was sitting on top of. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and I sighed again whimpering when he pulled back from the kiss resting his forehead against mine. 

“You know your lips are a little cold to the touch. I might have to kiss you again to get the full consensus though. Never stop surprising me you hear me snowflake?” I laughed at my best friend who had now just moved his way up to boyfriend status I hoped with the movement that I had just made taking the initiative as he always used to tell me to do.    


“You were the one who always used to tell me that I needed to take more initiative with my life and to do what I felt was right. I’ve been wanting to kiss you since I saw you yesterday and now that I know how good it feels to finally be in your arms I don’t really want to leave…” I spoke honestly and Laxus only crushed me tighter to him enveloping me in an even bigger hug.    


“That’s true, I just wasn’t expecting for you to close that gap first. I always wanted to be the one to kiss you maybe in the middle of one of your babbling nonsense just to make you forget what you were even saying for a moment until you glare at me for interrupting you. I’ve had so many fantasies about wanting to kiss you but I was always the one who made the first move. I never thought that you would be the confident one but you surprised me Idina. I love you so much…” He told me pressing gentle kisses across my face and I smiled at his kisses.    


“I just felt like I had to do it. I knew that I needed to feel what it would be like to kiss the boy that I spent most of my childhood in love with but not knowing how to bridge that gap and take it to the next level. Now that I know what it feels like though I won’t protest to a repeat.” I tried to wink but it wound up falling because Laxus just laughed at me.    


“You are so adorable I couldn’t refuse that request even if I wanted to…” He kissed me gently but with a bit more confidence now that he knew I wanted it. I sighed turning my head with his hands and I could feel his lips turn into a smirk when I felt something warm and wet and opened my mouth instinctively. It was his tongue coming to explore my mouth and I couldn’t help the startled sound that left me when he started to pull back.    


“Fuck!! I’m such an idiot!! What was I thinking?” He pulled back from the kiss and I looked him my eyes widened with the surprise that he had actually done that.    


“Laxus? What’s going on inside your head right now? Come on tell me what’s happening and we can talk it out like normal people.” I pressed and wanted to know what happened with him and why he pulled away from the kiss when I had been enjoying it.    
“I wanted to wait until I asked you before doing that but I got carried away and it’s my fault if you want to break off the deal now I wouldn’t care.” I 

looked up at my partner and started to laugh at him.    
“You can’t honestly think that I would break up with you because of something stupid like that Laxus. It felt good and I should have told you so before you started thinking that automatically since I know you.” Laxus looked up at me with soft eyes and I absolutely melted at the loving way that he was looking at me.    


“What did I do to deserve you in a past life snowflake? I don’t think that I’ve ever been this good of a person to get a saint like you as a girl that’s interested in me.” I hugged him tightly just wanting him to feel every ounce that was pouring from me.    


“ I’m not a saint they don’t really exist in this world. I’m just a good person who loved a young boy with blonde hair and the loudest laughter in the universe. I wanted to make him laugh everyday so I could bottle it up when I felt most alone in my head. It hurt when you changed and suddenly you weren’t the boy that I remembered but you’re becoming this different person who’s just as incredible as that boy once was. The boy who protected me no matter what and always used to look out for me making sure that I was okay with how everything was playing out. I’m not ace anymore, maybe I would have said so a few years ago but I realized a while ago that I’m actually Demisexual I need to have an emotional connection in order for sex to work as embarrassing as that sounds and why am I telling you this now? Curse you brain to mouth filter!!” I ranted and Laxus only lifted my chin up so that I could look at my best friend and future boyfriend. His eyes spoke so earnestly to me and I could feel myself falling deeper down the rabbit hole for my oldest friend. 

“You really loved me back then? When I was just this whinny gangly kid who thought that he was all that?” I nodded my head at his question with a small smile on my face pushing a lock of silver hair behind my ear. 

“Of course I did. You were my first love back then and I firmly believed that one day I would tell you but I was such a coward that I was worried about ruining the friendships that we had. It was my fault and if I had just taken that risk instead of pretending that I had feelings for Gray.” His arms tightened around my waist hugging me back.    


“I don’t think that your feelings for Gray were pretend or imaginary or whatever you probably had something to ground yourself there but it wasn’t as deep or meaningful as they would have been if you truly loved a person. Maybe you were just attracted to him? I mean he spends most of the time walking around in nothing but his underwear so it would make sense.” I blushed a bright fuschia pink on my cheeks thinking about what he had just said truly. Were my feelings for my best friend really that petty that I could truly think about them now and they were just lust? Well that would certainly explain a whole lot of things right there as to why they never felt as genuine as my feelings for Laxus once were. 

“I never really thought about it I guess but it actually makes a lot more sense than me actually having feelings for him. I love him like he’s my brother but that makes a lot more sense I let that feeling of infatuation cloud my judgement and in turn hurt you even when I really wasn’t thinking about it.” I felt the sun’s rays start to come out and the moon start to go away. It had been so long since Laxus and I had talked when the sun came up at least five years.    


“It wasn’t your fault snowflake I don’t want you to beat yourself up about it. I mean I hurt you just as much so the best thing that we can do at this point is to move forward right?” I nodded my head and stretched my arms above my head cracking my knuckles a bad habit that I had gotten from the man whose lap I was currently perched on.    


“You’re absolutely right Laxus but I kind of should probably get moving to the station knowing Erza she’ll want me there early or else she’ll not be happy with me. It sucks because I just got back home and now I have to leave again. I really hate traveling for jobs though this one will at least be on a team and that will make it fairly easy for me. It’s been a long time since I’ve worked with Natsu on a job or Erza herself for that matter. More often than not we worked together and would take jobs every couple of months so we could see the world. I used to love traveling with you since you were the muscle and I was the brains most of the time. I remember when Gramps used to tell me how we were the best team that he had ever seen when we were hardly even teenagers.” He helped me up onto his shoulders and put me back into my bedroom.    


“We were a badass team together and I recall that you were the only one that I wanted to work with all the time and if you already were building a team I would tell you all the reasons why you should work with me instead.” I laughed at the memory laying out my clothes for a moment picking out my white hoodie with the giant ice crystal on the back of it since I had no idea as to where we were going and also having my leggings, skirt and tank top mixture that I was used to. The only question was how was I going to get dressed when Laxus was right outside.    


“Don’t worry just give me your key and I’ll meet you downstairs and walk with you to the station again.” He told me and I blushed a bright pink giving him the key and he winked at me. I blushed down on my bed for a moment pulling my knees up to my chest for a moment looking down at my pajamas. I had finally kissed Laxus something that I had been wanting to do for the longest time and it had felt like nothing I had could have ever imagined. I was still reeling from just how good his lips pressed against mine had felt. I picked up Richard the stuffed polar bear and stuck him underneath my arm once I had gotten dressed and slung my duffle bag over my shoulder along with my backpack that hopefully had everything I needed in it. I brushed my teeth and tied my sneakers on my feet knowing that this job would require a lot of running around and being with myself.    


“Ready to go snowflake?” He asked me and I nodded my head walking forward to the future that I had spent the rest of my life dreaming of having knowing that my best friend and boyfriend would be right there next to me all the way. He would push me forward past the times of pain that I had seen and in turn I would push him forward too. We would be the exact same unstoppable force that most of the Fairy Tail guild remembered us being.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Checks how long it's been since I've last posted a chapter of this story and slowly closes laptop* Umm Hi guys? I know it's been forever since I've updated this story but I got kind of stuck and just decided to make a short chapter to try and wrap everything up. Don't worry though!! I've been brainstorming a different LaxusxOC story that is still in pretty early development but it will hopefully be longer too. I really love working with these characters and Fairy Tail is my fourth favorite anime of all time right behind FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood, Steins;Gate and Space Dandy. I consider them the holy five even though I really love Fruits Basket and Ouran so I guess the holy seven? I'm babbling just enjoy the chapter and I'll see you guys with new content really soon!!


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